Superman: The Man of Steel
by Daniel Sullivan
Summary: A young man from Kansas goes to the big city to pursue a career in journalism. At the same time, a fantastic hero appears on the scene in Metropolis, capturing the heart of the Daily Planet's star reporter, Lois Lane.
1. Chapter 1 Smallville

**Smallville, Kansas**

December, 1966. It was the end of what had been a very tumultuous year for the Kents. The first half of the year had been spent trying to save the farm. In spite of Jonathan's best efforts, the farm had been failing since the death of his parents, and they were on the brink of losing it. Martha's mother had never liked Jonathan, and refused to help them keep the farm. Somehow, Jonathan convinced an out of state bank to loan them the money. Having to pay back the loan and continue to make payments on the farm, the Kent's retention of the land was tenuous at best, though Jonathan managed to make the farm productive enough for them to stay.

Then things seemed to turn around; the joyous news of Martha's pregnancy in June was like an answering to all of Jonathan and Martha's prayers, and somehow, concerns about the farm seemed unimportant: The Good Lord would provide. Friends and relatives were generous with gifts of baby clothes and soon to be needed supplies, and in spite of what had been a rough year financially, the young couple saw it as a turning point.

By mid-October, however, Martha had become despondent, and it seemed that nothing Jonathan could do would cheer her. How could Martha tell him the truth? She wanted to so badly, but every time she started to, she just fell to tears. She knew her mother would gloat, and that made her avoid the woman like the plague.

On Christmas Eve of 1966, with a tree beautifully decorated and presents from friends and relatives nestled beneath, all for the new baby, Martha wrung her fists and let out a long, mournful cry.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Jonathan ran to her and took her in his arms, kissing her cheek. "It's alright, Baby; I'm here."

"It don't matter," she cried as he walked her to the sofa and helped to a sitting position. "Can't you see?" He looked at her with puzzlement, and she looked down at her abdomen. "Look at my tummy, Jonathan—I'm not as big as I should be by now …"

"Some women don't get that large when they're pregnant …"

"I'm not pregnant," she sobbed. "I lost the baby in October … I just couldn't bring myself to tell you." She did not know what he would say, but thankfully, he did not say anything. He just held her. "All the things people keep giving us … I feel so ashamed …"

"You shouldn't, Martha. T'ain't your fault, baby; these things happen."

"That baby was all we ever wanted … I love you, but I've wanted to be a mom since I was a little girl. I wish your folks were still alive, Jonathan—they were like a second set of parents to me. My dad would have been okay, but my mama, she'll have a cow when she finds out! She's already telling me I'm too thin … I think she knows."

"You let me handle your mama, Martha. But don't you need to see a doctor about somethin' like that?"

"I did," she confessed. "I went to another county an' used a different name so nobody would find out."

He nodded. "We'll try again when you're ready. If we can't have kids, we can adopt …"

"How? Jonathan, we barely have two pennies to rub together! You've been amazing keeping this farm goin', but …"

She was interrupted by what sounded like a jet engine overhead. In seconds, it became so loud that she thought it was going to crash into the house. The walls and even the very floor shook violently. Outside the window, she saw the fireball strike ground.

"Landed in the back forty," Jonathan exclaimed. "Come on, Martha!"

"Come on and what?"

Her husband smiled. "We just had something land on our farm, and nobody but us knows about it. We can discover somethin' before anyone else does! Come on, Martha; let's have an adventure like we used to when we were kids."

For the first time in two months, Martha smiled. This was why she fell in love with Jonathan. She got it in her head that he would be angry over her losing their baby. Now, she could not understand how such an idea ever made it into her head. He was not the best looking man, or the strongest or the smartest, but he was her best friend and her partner in everything. In good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, he loved her.

Martha took her husband's hand and he pulled from the couch. They put on coats and ran out to the truck. The 1954 Ford reluctantly started after several attempts, and in moments, the two were off chasing what was more than likely a meteor. As the truck pulled away from the house, Martha looked in the side view mirror and noticed that the weathervane on their roof was melted to slag.

"Land sakes, Jonathan! That thing must have been mere inches away from the house!"

"Good thing it weren't any lower, or we'd have skylights!" She giggled at his comment, and then he added, "Chasing a star on Christmas Eve—don't that sound familiar?"

Martha just said, "Mm hmm." Looking out the windshield, she saw the still smoldering trench dug by the meteor as it had struck the ground. It had to be almost half an acre long. By the time they got to the crash site, however, it was clear that whatever had landed was no meteor.

"Jonathan …"

"I know, Martha," he said as he stopped the truck and got out.

The object was about twenty feet long and cigar shaped, with fins at its stern. Midway up the fuselage, the craft—and it was a craft—had wings that were melted down to stubs from the landing. All around the trench was burning brush and scorched earth."

"Land sakes, Jonathan! It's a rocket ship!"

"Yeah, but is it one of ours? Or is it Russian?" Then he took a few steps closer. "Funny, but it don't have no thrusters, an' it don't look like no rocket I ever saw."

"And just how many rockets have you saw, Jonathan?"

Undeterred by Martha's query, Jonathan Kent went to the craft. Martha was alarmed, calling after him, but he carefully walked close, and reached out to touch the vessel.

"Martha, it's cool to the touch …" Then his eyes widened. "Martha … I hear a …"

"I hear it too!" The plaintive cry sounded again. "It's a baby!"

The canopy opened, and Jonathan reached inside and lifted a crying child from the craft. It was wrapped in a colorful red blanket with some kind of gold emblem emblazoned upon it. When he walked back to her with the baby, Jonathan said, "Martha, it's a boy!"

"Land sakes, Jonathan! What kind of monsters would …"

"I don't know, Martha, but it sure ain't one of ours, an' it sure ain't Russian. There's writin' inside—symbols of some kind, an' they ain't nothin' like letters in Russian or English."

"This thing is too advanced to be anyone else's … where do you think …"

Jonathan pointed to the starry sky. "Out there."

She took the baby from her husband, and he calmed almost immediately. All he needed was a mother's touch. The child was tiny, a newborn. _How could anyone do this to a newborn child?_ "Jonathan … can we keep him? I mean, we're keeping him … ain't we?"

He looked around. The night air was still and quiet. No sounds of approaching vehicles or aircraft. Nobody else was even aware. "Far as anyone else goes, you delivered a baby tonight, Martha. Now let's get this little one back home fast as we can. Git him into the truck while I hook the chains to this rocket-ship so we can git it to the barn an' git it hid."

"Clark Kent," she said.

"Who?"

"Clark Joseph Kent." She smiled. "That's his name, Jonathan. Clark – my maiden name, Joseph – your Pa's name, and Kent."

Jonathan wrapped his arms around Martha as she held the baby. "He's so tiny, Martha. He's still … goopy too! Land sakes, Martha, he just got born!"

"Terrible! Just terrible! He's ours now, Jonathan. We'll protect him. We'll keep him safe from the world."

"No, Martha," Jonathan said as he looked over at the ship. "This baby … he's a-gonna change the world."


	2. Chapter 2 Smallville

**Smallville - 1982**

A large group of kids, mostly boys, were grouped in a horseshoe around something against the lockers in the hallway. Shouts of "Kick him" and "Let's show him" sounded through the hallway. The boys were mostly athletes. A number of popular girls were also looking on, with a few joining in. At the center of it all, leading the pack, was Brad Wilson, the Smallville Crow's star quarterback.

A blonde girl named Chloe Sullivan, a reporter for the school's newspaper known for her fascination with the paranormal and the occult, shouted, "Stop it! You're hurting him!"

Someone pushed her into the mix, and she was very quickly transported to the center of the horseshoe, other kids shouting, "She's the one!"

Clark Kent, Pete Ross, and Lana Lang walked toward the teeming throng, Kent sighing as he looked at the sight.

"It's Lex and Chloe."

"Man, that Luthor kid can't catch a break," Pete exclaimed. He was one of the few black students in the predominantly white school, and was considered a nerd by most, but good grades and social savvy had kept him off of the bullies' radar.

"Just leave it alone, Clark," Lana warned. "They ain't gonna stop for you."

The red headed Lana was Clark's oldest friend. He thought they would end up together, but she had been drawn to the star athlete, Brad Wilson when they got to high school.

"Wilson's your boyfriend," Pete admonished. "Maybe he'll stop for you?"

Lana shook her head. "You know he don't listen to me, Pete. Now come on, Clark; I don't want you to get hurt."

Clark looked at her with a frown of disapproval. "You know I won't do that, Lana."

With that, Clark Kent strode to the throng of kids, amazed that no school authority had yet intervened. He grabbed the boys, some football players like himself, and pulled them off, tossing them gently behind him as he carved a path through the crowd. His presence became apparent almost immediately, and the others parted for him. When he got to the center of the mob, he saw a beaten and humiliated Lex Luthor on the floor, doubled over in obvious pain.

Chloe was held fast by Ray Jorgenson, the Crows' star running back. The thin girl struggled against the larger boy, but to no avail, all the while crying, "Let me go!"

Lex Luthor was a sickly boy from a wealthy family who had suffered from something called alopecia, which made his hair fall out, making the bald boy look like a cancer patient. Luthor was incredibly gifted intellectually, however, and tended to let everyone know it, making him even more unpopular.

"Put her down, Ray," Clark warned.

Ray looked nervously at Brad, who looked between Clark and Chloe. Finally, he nodded. Ray let Chloe down, who immediately went to the downed Lex. Brad turned to his attention to Clark.

"Come on, Kent," Brad barked. "Kick his ass!"

"Why would I do that?"

"Cause the kid's a fuckin' scrub, man," said Ray, whose comment was greeted by peals of laughter.

"Little punk's gone too far," Brad bellowed. "He ratted us out!"

"You were cheating," Lex managed to cry. "You were cheating using my work!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Brad went to kick Lex, but Clark interposed his own foot, blocking Brad's assault. This caused the quarterback to turn his ire on Clark. "What the fuck's yer problem, Kent?" He got right up in Clark's face, but had to look up at him, spoiling the effect.

"You did this to yourself, Brad. Beating on Lex won't change that."

Brad got even closer to Clark. "You just made the varsity team this year, Kent. You wanna be one of us, you better kick that scrawny little chicken's neck!"

Kent never buckled to peer pressure, and that tended to keep him from being as popular as the others on the team. Today was no exception.

"The way I see it, Lex is right. Besides, only a coward needs help to pick on a kid half his size," Clark noted.

The whole crowd went silent at this, with low gasps of surprise being uttered as the star quarterback faced the larger Clark Kent, the backup. "You callin' me a coward, farmhand?"

"Yes," Clark declared. "And everyone else who's with you."

Brad did not even bother responding. He threw a haymaker and decked Clark in the jaw. The sound of breaking bones made the other kids wince, but the big farm boy just stood there as though nothing had happened. Brad, however, was clutching his hand, crying in pain.

"You broke my hand!"

"No," Clark countered. "You broke your own hand." Kent then grabbed Brad by the collar and cocked back his right fist. "But if you want me to break you …"

Brad's eyes went wide, and Lana cried out, "Clark, no!"

Kent was a farm boy. Everyone knew it. Pa Kent farmed the old-fashioned way, and Clark was up with the sun performing backbreaking work with his father. Many predicted that the big farm boy would go on to become a powerlifter. Kent was a huge young man, and his fist looked like a wrecking ball on the end of a telephone pole. If Clark let Brad have it, the quarterback would be in the hospital.

"This what you want, Brad?"

Brad was white as a sheet, and an ever-growing wet stain formed at the crotch of his pants as the quarterback wet himself, shaking his head vigorously in the negative. Kent let go of him, and Brad ran off. The crowd dispersed, allowing the suddenly present school officials to finally get to the center of it. One of them caught Brad, and brought him back over to Clark, who was helping Lex to his feet. The football coach bounded down the hallway to assess the damage to his star's hand.

"What in blazes is goin' on here?"

Chloe Sullivan, emboldened by Clark's rescue, marched right up

The guidance counselor looked at the coach. "Seems Brad was makin' trouble again. What is it this time, Wilson?"

"They cheated," Lex shouted. "They stole my notebooks and used my work to pass their tests! I reported it!"

"Lex got us suspended from the team! We was just gonna git us some payback!"

The coach looked far too approving of this. "I've been workin' to get ya back on the field, Brad, but if ya done went an' broke yer hand …" then he looked at Clark. "We're a team, Kent; you don't go against yer teammates."

"My teammates are cowards, Coach Morris," Clark shot back. "And winning isn't a sometime thing—it's an all-time thing."

The counselor grinned at this. "That's right, Coach. And Clark here is a straight A+ student! Perfect grades. Only other kid that smart is Luthor."

"Thanks to that bald little snake," the coach growled, "all I got is second stringers! Kent, you'd better be doing your "all time" winning on Sunday, or there'll be hell to pay! And ain't no Vince Lombardi quotes a-gonna git you outta it either."

Brad was taken to the infirmary to have his hand looked at, and the rest of the kids returned to their classes, leaving Clark, Pete, Lana, and a breathless Chloe and Lex.

"I'd better go with Brad," Lana said. The others nodded, and she ran off.

"Man, what does that girl see in Brad anyway?" Pete asked nobody in particular.

"Nothing good," Chloe spat. "Football players are the worst!"

"Hey," Pete interjected. "Clark's a football player"

"No, he isn't," Lex corrected before Clark or Chloe could say anything. "He's a genius who happens to play football—not the same thing."

Chloe sidled over to Clark and smiled up at him. "Never pegged you as a genius, Kent. Is it true—what Mister Rosenbaum said? You really get perfect grades like Lex?"

Clark nodded, and Lex smiled triumphantly.

"Guess I underestimated you, Clark," Chloe confessed.

"I don't boast about my academic performance," Clark noted. "There's more to life than grades."

"It wasn't your grades I was talking about," the school reporter countered. "You went against the rest of the football team! I thought for sure that being the backup QB, you'd be right in there with Brad and the rest."

Kent grinned. "I'm not the backup now."

Lex just laughed. "Darwinism at its finest, eh, Clark?"

The four of them laughed before Clark and Pete went on to class, while Lex and Chloe went their own ways.

"That Chloe Sullivan, Clark," Pete said. "She's a journalist—cute too. Maybe you and her …"

"Maybe," Clark said with a chuckle. "She's into all that weird, though—I tend to steer clear of that kind of thing."

"Well, there is that," Pete agreed.

Clark chuckled, and Pete thought it was in regard to his comment. The Ross boy had no idea that Clark steered clear of people like Chloe because of his own weirdness, a weirdness about which he could tell none under any circumstances.


	3. Chapter 3 Smallville

Martha Kent was about to start dinner when the doorbell rang. Pa Kent was still out working the farm, and Clark was upstairs doing homework, so she answered it herself. She expected that it was Pete, looking to go riding bikes or what not … or maybe the Lang girl. Martha smiled at that thought; she thought Clark and Lana would make a nice couple. The doorbell rang again, and she called, "Coming," and hurried her pace slightly.

When she opened the door, it was neither Pete nor Lana, but a tall, forty-ish man with long locks of wavy brown hair and a close beard. He was a handsome sort—if one went for that European GQ look. He wore a double-breasted silk suit that Martha estimated cost more than a new Ford Truck.

"Can I help you?"

"No," the man said, smiling like a cat that ate the canary. "But your son already has, and I came by to thank him personally." The man extended his right hand and said, "Lionel Luthor."

Martha shook his hand and nodded. "Martha Kent. Won't you come inside, Mister Luthor?"

"Lionel," he corrected as he stepped inside.

"So … just what did my Clark do to help you, Lionel?" She hoped that Clark had not used his powers in some way.

"He helped my son," the older Luthor explained. "Half the football team was beating him in the hallway while about thirty students stood around and cheered them on." He shook his head. "Disgusting mob mentality."

Martha gasped. "My God, that's terrible! Is he okay?"

"Thanks to your son, yes. Clark stepped in and made them stop. Seems the star quarterback took a swipe at your boy, and broke his hand on Clark's chin." Then he laughed. "Bullies rarely know how to fight anyone bigger than themselves, so I'm not surprised that Brad Wilson hits like a girl—no offense."

She laughed. "None taken, Lionel." Then she called, "Clark, you've got a visitor …." Before she finished her sentence, Clark appeared at the foot of the stairs. "Oh, you're already here."

Clark nodded. Lionel Luthor was quite a tall man, but Clark matched him inch for inch, and probably outweighed the older man by a good fifty or more pounds.

"I recognize you," Clark said pleasantly, shaking Luthor's hand. "You're Lionel Luthor; pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine, Clark; you stood with my son. He said you're the second string QB; it takes guts to stand for what's right when your peers are doing what's wrong." Then he chuckled. "I understand that even one of your own friends, a girl named Lang, told you not to intervene."

"Lana," Clark noted.

"Land sakes," Martha Kent exclaimed. "Why would that young lady do that?"

"Because she didn't want me to have to fight the whole team," Clark answered. "Besides, she dates Brad, and thinks he's a real tough guy."

Martha laughed, knowing that her son could lift a tractor overhead with one hand. "I just don't understand that girl. She's smart and she's kind. What does she see in that … Brad? You, Clark; you'd be a better fit for her."

"Not interested," Clark declared. "She's just a friend."

"A friend who needs to learn a thing or two." Martha led Lionel and Clark into the living room, motioning for them to each take a seat.

"My son tells me that Clark holds the highest GPA in the school, save for one person," Lionel said. "That one person is my son, Lex, whose GPA is equal to Clark's."

"I just work hard, Sir," Clark said self-deprecatingly.

"Nonsense," Lionel insisted. "Anyone can work hard, but it won't get you those kinds of results. Lex insists that you are his equal in math and science. The two of you are in AP classes together, Clark. You might seem like a humble farm boy, but you've got the makings of a world class physicist!"

"Actually, I plan to go into journalism," Clark said.

Lionel raised an eyebrow at this. "With a mind like yours? Why would you waste it on the media?"

"Because people need to hear the truth, Sir. People in high places need to be held accountable. People in low places need someone to stand up for them."

Martha Kent was beaming. Clark Kent, the son she thought she would never have; her miracle child. He was faster than a speeding bullet, and could probably leap tall buildings in a single bound, but none of that mattered. His sense of justice, and his desire to do the right thing, and to stand up for the weak and the powerless were what she considered miraculous.

"Well, far be it from me to criticize," Lionel noted. "After all, you did just that for my son today."

"Is Lex okay?" Clark asked. "They were pretty rough on him."

Lionel nodded. "He's working on some project." Then he laughed. "I have two PhDs in biochemical engineering and macroeconomic modeling from Yale, but Lex astounds me."

"You and your wife must be proud," Martha said, but her words caused Lionel's face to darken.

"Lillian … she passed away two years ago," the older man said. "I've done my best to raise Lex and Lena ever since, but without her … well, let's just say it's been rough going."

"Why don't you join us for dinner, Lionel?" Martha asked, but Luthor waved her off.

"I appreciate the offer, Mrs. Kent, but I have two children to get home to—I'm away from them enough as it is." He stood, and Clark and Martha stood with him. "I just had to come by in person and meet the young man who came to my son's aid." He shook Clark's hand again. "If you ever choose to pursue a career in hard sciences, my company would be lucky to have you. Lex already has a career path with Luthor-Corp—Lena too if she wants it. Just say the word, Clark, and I'll prepare a place for you."

"Thank you, Sir," Clark said graciously. "That's quite an honor. Certainly, something to consider."

Lionel smiled and then gave Martha a courteous bow. "It was a pleasure to meet you both, Mrs. Kent. You've raised a fine young man."

Once Lionel had left, Martha looked at Clark. "You could make a fortune working for Luthor-Corp, you know."

"I know," Clark agreed. "But I can't help people doing corporate science. As a reporter, I can …."

"I know, I know, Clark—you have visions of phoning the governor with newly uncovered evidence just in the nick of time to prevent an innocent man from being executed. That ain't what reporters do, not anymore anyhow."

The door opened again, and Pa Kent came inside, a bemused grin on his face as he removed his work boots and hat.

"Now don't that just beat all," he said. "Never had a genuine billionaire extol the virtues of good hard work to me before."

"He offered Clark a place in Luthor-Corp, and Clark pretty much turned him down—politely, of course, but still …."

Pa Kent looked at his son with puzzlement. "Son, that would be perfect for you. You could keep those powers of yours secret, and …."

"But I don't want to keep them secret!" Clark was not shouting, but his reply was filled with passion. "I don't want to hide my abilities. I don't want to hide away in some … lab! I need to be out there in the world, Pa. I need to be using my powers to help others, and to make the world a better place! I can do that as a reporter."

"Why not as a cop?" Martha asked.

"I need the freedom of movement that being a reporter will offer," Clark explained. "And the power of the written word is such that …."

Jonathan Kent laughed as he shook his head. "Son, you don't even talk like us no more—not that I mind, but Clark, why not politics?"

"No, Pa. A man with my powers should never be an authority over others. I need to lead by example. I see enough of what the strong do with their power in school to know that."

The Kents sat down to Martha's sumptuous meal, and after a desert of ice cream and apple pie, Clark was about to go upstairs when another knock came to the front door.

"I'll get it, Ma," Clark offered as he went to the door. When he opened it, he was surprised to see Lana standing on the front porch, tears in her eyes. Clark noticed that one of her eyes was swollen.

"I need to talk to you, Clark …"

"Then come on …"

"No—I need to talk alone. Can we walk?"

He nodded. "I'll be back, Ma," he called before stepping outside with Lana. "Who hit you?"

"He didn't mean it, Clark."

"Who hit you, Lana?" Clark spoke softly, but firmly.

Lana's tears turned to anger, and she placed her index finger in the center of Clark's chest. "You made him do it, Clark!"

"Let me guess," Clark replied, his voice thick with sarcasm. "I stood up to the bully, and now his little ego is hurt, so it's my fault that he slapped you around—that about cover it?"

"Why couldn't you just leave it alone, Clark? You know you only made things worse!"

"Don't come back here, Lana."

"I thought we were friends, Clark!"

"If you want a friend to blame for your abusive boyfriend's drama, you'll have to look elsewhere, Lana. Besides, ever since you started dating Brad, your priorities have all gone to seed."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Clark shook his head at the indignant girl. "Come on, Lana; you have to see it—you never would have tolerated a boy hitting you. He's changed you, and not in a good way. You were always so proud to be a tomboy, but now, you're wearing things that you never would have worn a year ago, and you've cast aside a lot of your favorite hobbies. Your grades have gone down, but more importantly, your moral compass is in serious need of recalibration."

"My moral compass?"

"Telling me to let ten large boys beat on Chloe and Lex when you know darned well that I can more than handle myself, Lana—think about it."

Lana sobbed for a moment, and then shouted, "I wanted you! I never wanted to date Brad! Why won't you date me? Why don't you love me?"

This was unexpected. "Since when?"

Lana let out an exasperated shriek. "Since forever, Clark!"

"I … I don't know what to say, Lana. We've been friends forever, and I thought that was all we were. I mean, I do love you, Lana, but not like that."

Her hands went to her mouth and her eyes went wide. "Oh my God! I just figured it out—you're gay!"

"What?" He shook his head. "No—I like girls, Lana."

"Clark, you don't date anyone." Then she hugged him. "I'm so sorry I didn't realize it sooner. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

He shook his head again. "I'm not gay, Lana."

Lana's brow furrowed, and a frustrated look returned to her face. "Then what is it? Why don't you find me attractive?"

He shrugged. "I do. I find lots of girls attractive, Lana. I'm just not dating anyone, and until I figure some things out, I don't plan to."

"So … you're questioning?"

"Questioning what?"

Lana shook her head. "Clark, I don't know what to do with this. I thought 'questioning' is the term for people who aren't sure if they're gay …"

"Lana, I'm not questioning. I like girls. I'm heterosexual. There's nothing wrong with being gay, but I'm not gay."

"Nothing wrong with …" Lana took a step back from him. "You mean you actually … approve of that?"

Clark folded his arms. "Really—you just hugged me when you thought I was gay, but my saying there's nothing wrong with someone else being gay offends you."

"Clark, if you're gay, it's something you gotta work through," she explained. "Pastor Hicks says we gotta be nice to gays so they'll wanna be straight, so they'll wanna stop sinning. You … you're okay with them sinning!"

"Not a sin, Lana."

"Yeah, well that ain't what Pastor Hicks says."

"Good night, Lana. You let Brad know that if he hits you again, I'll annihilate him."

He left Lana Lang, a girl who was once his best friend, standing bewildered at his front door and went inside. How had they grown apart? How had he missed her feelings for him? Clark had been considering telling her the truth until she made the comment about gay people and Pastor Hicks. What would she say if she knew he was from another planet? What would she say if she knew he were not even human? Sadly, he knew that he could never trust her with such knowledge.

Clark went upstairs and began reading his favorite book, "To Kill a Mockingbird," again. He forced himself to read at a human pace, taking in every word, occupying himself until it was time for bed. He thought about Lana's words, and his parents' wishes that he hide his powers. Tonight was a bitter reminder that he did not belong in Smallville … or perhaps even on Earth. _Where did I come from?_ The question haunted Clark, interrupting his reading, and keeping him awake into the night.


	4. Chapter 4 Smallville

The bleachers were filled to capacity as the Crows took on the Paola High Panthers in the Homecoming game. Smallville had not beaten the Panthers in years, and with most of the Crow's starters on academic suspension, it probably would not happen tonight. Clark Kent, the second string quarterback, was leading a bunch of first year varsity students against the county's top ranked team.

"You think this'll suck as bad it looks like it's gonna?" Margaret, one of the cheerleaders looked at Lana, who had joined the cheerleading squad this year.

Lana sighed. "I don't know. Clark—he's a friend, an' it's my team, so I want us to win, but …."

"But you don't think we will," Margaret finished.

Lana shook her head. "I don't know what to think anymore, Margaret. Clark an' me were best friends for years, an' now … now he's a stranger." She laughed, and added, "You know, I don't even know if he's even any good."

"Guess we'll find out."

"Guess so," Lana agreed.

-S-

"You stood up for Luthor," one of the linemen growled at Kent, the others nodding and grunting in agreement. "Don't expect us to do any blocking for you."

"You know," one of the receivers, Wyatt Jensen said, "I'd like to at least try to win tonight."

The others, however, overruled him. "No way I'm makin' Kent look good," another receiver said.

Clark shook his head. "If you idiots can't be bothered to play to win … then I guess I'll just have to do it myself.

The Crows won the coin toss, and the punt was returned to the ten yard line, where the Crow's returner was tackled. Clark then lined up on the field with the rest of the team. Instead of calling out plays or counting down, he just said, "Hike the damn ball, Chet."

The surly center hiked the ball to Clark, who without warning, blasted down the field. The Panthers tried to stop him, but he literally bowled them over or body slammed them out of the way. Kent was like a freight train barreling through a corn field. Nothing could stop him, and when Clark finally stopped, it was in the Panther's end zone, where he casually spiked the ball. Panthers fans were stunned, while Smallville's fans were going wild.

Lana and the rest of the squad were so astounded that they just stood there for a few moments. Nobody was blocking for Clark, and it had looked like the Panthers were going to flatten him. But Clark charged ahead like a raging bull, tossing the defenders aside with such casual ease that she found herself wondering why she had ever worried about him the previous day.

"Don't know how good his arm is," Margaret exclaimed, "but he runs like a friggin' Mack truck!"

The place kicker made the extra point, earning Smallville a seven point lead. When Clark returned to the sidelines, he looked at the Crow's defense and said, "Don't blow my lead."

Coach Morris slapped Clark's back, and grasped the large boy's shoulder. "Son, that was one of the most amazing runs I've ever seen! I don't know how you did it … but if this is how you're a-gonna play, then you're my new best friend."

"Brad wants to be a pro football player," Clark noted. "I'm happy to go back to second string when he's back."

The coach laughed. "That ain't how it works, Son."

Smallville's defense was not really up to the task of stopping the Panthers, and it was not long before Kent was back on the field. This time, the returner was swarmed and pushed back to the five yard line, where they lined up. Kent grabbed Wyatt by the arm and said, "Get into the end zone."

"You outta your mind, Kent?"

"Fine, be a loser. I'll do it myself," Clark growled, but Wyatt grabbed Clark's sleeve.

"You're serious …."

"Get down there, and I'll put the ball right in your hands."

"Kent, you'll be throwing from the end zone," Wyatt reminded him. "That's more than a hundred yards!"

"So make sure you're in the end zone … unless you want me to catch it myself."

When Kent got the ball, he dropped back, and stayed mobile, looking like he was aiming at any receiver but Wyatt. Jensen was fast, and broke free to get to the Panthers' end zone. Kent had three of the opposing team players hanging on him, but they could not bring him down. Once Jensen was in place, Kent cocked back his arm and launched the ball. He actually had one of the Panthers hanging onto his throwing arm when he made the pass. The hapless boy was hurled into one of his team mates by the force of Clark's throw.

The ball flew in a perfect arc, and to the amazement of all the onlookers, the ball landed right in Wyatt Jensen's hands. His initially skeptical team mates were now cheering him on. Clearly, Clark Kent was the superior quarterback. The place kicker again made the extra point, and the game was fourteen to seven.

This time, when Clark returned to the sidelines, Coach Morris embraced him like a long lost child.

"You, Clark Kent, are going to be starting from now on!"

"Really?" Clark was not enthused.

"Son, you know how many pro QBs have thrown a hundred yard touchdown pass?"

"No, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me."

"No," the coach replied. "I'm a football junkie, and I can't think of any. No human being I've ever seen can play like you do, Son. You're a-gonna be the greatest ever!"

The rest of the game played out much the same. Energized by Clark's prowess and the early lead over the Panthers, the Crows' defense was able to keep the Panthers from scoring, forcing them to punt after the Crows ended the opposing team's drive. With the Crows in possession once again, Clark simply ran the ball into the end zone. Panthers players actually avoided trying to tackle him.

By the time it was over, the Crows had won, 77-35. Everyone was convinced that they were looking at the next Joe Namath or Johnny Unitas. Before the game was over, the nicknames, "Locomotive Kent," and "Smallville Cannonball" were being thrown around as if Clark had been known by those names for years.

-S-

Clark had no intention of attending Smallville's homecoming dance, and quietly disappeared after the game. Ever since he was young, he could move faster than the human eye could see, which proved handy at times like this. He would simply round the corner, and when people followed him, he was gone.

Leaving the school through one of the side exits, Clark thought he was home free. The door closed behind him, and just as he was about to leap into the air, he heard a girl's voice behind him.

"Thought I'd catch you here," Chloe Sullivan observed, leaning against the wall next to the door.

Clark could see through solid objects, but tended to refrain from doing so most of the time. He realized that he would have to change that from now on.

"What's on your mind, Chloe?"

She smiled demurely and batted her eyelashes at him. "You."

He rolled his eyes. "Cut to the chase, Chloe—you've never had a romantic interest in me, and athletic achievements don't mean a thing to you. What're you after?"

She pushed herself away from the wall and sauntered over to him. "Never said my interest was romantic … Clark. But your standing up to Brad Wilson definitely got my attention."

"So, if it's not romantic, then what is it?"

She stood about three feet from him. Clark could hear her heartbeat. Chloe's heartrate was accelerated. Her face was flush, but she was trying to maintain a calm exterior.

"Those things you did, Clark … they're not humanly possible."

"What? Running a football from one end of a grass field to the other, and tossing the ball to another guy further downfield? Hardly anything of note."

Chloe shook her head, smiling nervously. "No, Clark; you can fool the rest of them, but you can't fool me. You … you took that punch from Brad, and I know how to punch—his punch should have dislocated your jaw. I know some guys have a strong chin, but he didn't even move you. He broke his hand, Clark. And the way you stopped his kick …."

"Brad's a blowhard, Chloe …."

"No; you threw a one hundred yard pass with a two hundred pound boy hanging on your arm, Clark! Now, if you're taking some kind of … drugs … they'll find out—you've gotta know that!"

He sighed. "I'm disappointed, Chloe; I thought you were going to speculate that I'm an alien or a mutant or something like that. Drugs? Isn't that a little beneath you?"

"Oh, no you don't, Clark Kent. I always start with the logical first. Drugs are the only thing I can think of that would logically allow you to do those things. Come clean with me, please! I'm your friend—not as close as Lana …."

"Lana and I are no longer friends. If we are, we're certainly not close."

"Level with me, Clark. I've heard about roid-rage, and … I'm a bit nervous confronting you, but better me than the coach. You could be …."

"I'm not taking drugs, Chloe. I don't even want to be a starter; I only joined the team so it would look good to a college. I'm planning a career in journalism; not much call for steroids for a reporter."

Chloe looked confused. "If you want to be a journalist, why aren't you on the Torch with me?"

He shrugged. "It's junior year, but it's early. Once Brad is fixed, I'm quitting the team. I shouldn't have showed off; now I need to undo the damage. Maybe then, I can join you."

"Undo the damage? Clark, you're not making sense …."

"I'm almost eighteen, Chloe. I'm not a kid anymore. Now that I've shown what I can do, Coach Morris is convinced I'm the next Johnny U. I should have played only adequately, but I let my feelings get the better of me, and I actually tried a little …."

"A little? Clark, you put professional athletes to shame tonight! And you call that a little?"

He shook his head. This was getting nowhere, and Clark had already said more than he should have. "Good night, Chloe. I'll see you on Monday."

He turned to leave, but she caught his arm. "Please, Clark; don't go."

"I've already said too much, Chloe."

"Clark! You're … you're burning up! I can feel the heat from here—you need to …."

He circled his wrist, breaking Chloe's grasp without hurting her. "I'm fine, Chloe." Then he looked sternly at her and said, "Let it go, and never bring this topic up with me again."

Chloe Sullivan watched Clark Kent walk away, more confused by him than she was before. So many things about Clark did not add up. She had suspected that there was something unusual about him, something related to the meteor shower that hit the area in 1966. The big one was never recovered, but pieces of an unknown metal landed in other parts of Smallville, and Wayne Irig had found a chunk of green rock that had landed in his back yard. It had been sold to the Metropolis Museum of Natural History, and was even studied by S.T.A.R. Labs. Other odd rocks, each a different color, had struck in other places around Smallville, and these had also been rounded up by the government and sent to S.T.A.R. Labs.

Not all of the pieces had been found, however, and many weird things had happened around the small town. Reports of everything from Bigfoot to werewolves, from U.F.O.s to the wendigo had spiked in the past seventeen years since the meteor shower.

Chloe had tracked it all on her "Wall of Weird" in the Torch office at school. Each event was tracked, dated, and its details recorded in her notebook. A lot of people laughed at her, but she was good enough at her job as editor and reporter for the Torch that her seeming weirdness was overlooked. And Clark was setting off her "weird-o-meter" in the worst way. Then she did a double take.

"Did he just say that after quitting the football team … maybe he'd join me at the Torch?"


	5. Chapter 5 Smallville

"You did what?"

The Kents sat at the dinner table, and Clark had just shared the details of the homecoming game, and Chloe's absurd ideas. Pa Kent was beside himself, and Ma Kent was white as a sheet. Clark did not think his football performance was that big a deal.

"I basically won the game by myself," Clark explained. "It's no big deal; I'll simply quit the team—problem solved."

"It's too late," Ma said in a hushed tone. "They seen you …."

Pa shook his head. "It's not so bad as that, Martha, but it's close."

"I just don't want them to take Clark away, Jonathan!"

Clark did a double take at this. "Ma, why would anyone take me away? And who would take me away anyway? Is there some kind of mafia run high school gambling ring?"

Pa Kent stood. "Son, I think it's time we showed you something. In fact, I think it's long overdue."

Clark stood and followed his father, who led him out of the house and out to the barn. Pa motioned to the old tractor that had not run in years, and said, "Move that." Clark did as his father asked, moving the old tractor as easily as his father might pass the butter. Beneath the old tractor was a trap door, its latch secured with a heavy padlock.

"This is it, Son." Pa Kent removed a key and opened the padlock, and then lifted the trap door. "That right there."

Clark looked into the pit beneath the trap door. He climbed down a ladder that was built into the barn's wooden floor, and found himself in a ten-foot-deep, twenty-foot-long pit, staring in amazement the object within. Filling its length and breadth was what looked to be a crashed starship of diminutive proportions. His father climbed down the ladder and joined him, turning on the light and standing beside him.

"We found you in that, Son—crashed out in the back forty back in Christmas of sixty-six. Your ma had suffered a miscarriage in October, an' she didn't tell no one, not even me. It was Christmas Eve when she finally broke down and told me that she'd lost the baby." He sighed and shook his head. "Everyone had sent us baby clothes and diapers, and all the things a baby needs, and she didn't know how to tell them there ain't gonna be no baby." Then he looked up. "I was holdin' her close when we heard the sound. It was like nothin' I ever heard before, Son. We saw it out the window; saw it crash in the back forty. Went out to see what we thought was a meteor or an aero-plane." Pa Kent laughed. "We weren't expectin' no rocket ship … but inside, we found you."

Clark ran his fingers along its smooth surface. "You have it examined?"

"Absolutely not," Pa insisted. "Nobody could know the truth. Of course, we had no idea that you'd grow to be the man you've become."

Clark had once suspected that he had been adopted—he towered over both of his parents, and had a physique to rival Arnold Schwarzenegger without even having to go to the gym. His jet-black hair was a contrast to his parents' light brown hair, and his facial features were nothing like either of theirs. His keen hearing had allowed him to overhear conversations wherein people speculated that Martha Kent had slept around, but he had always assumed that he was adopted. But the idea that he had been found in a starship ….

"Pa … this means I'm from another planet … doesn't it?"

Pa Kent nodded. "That's what we think. We've been afraid for years that the government would come an' take you away from us. That's why we've tried to keep you from being too flashy with them powers of yours."

Clark had always thought that he was a mutant, like one of the X-Men in Marvel's comics. Jonathan and Martha Kent were his parents, but somewhere—on another world—he had biological parents. He was an alien—a genuine E.T.

"So … what does it mean?"

"It means we ain't alone no more, Son."

"No—I know that," Clark said without missing a beat. "I meant beyond the obvious. What does it mean for humanity? I dwell among you, something that shatters all preconceptions held by the majority of people in this country, particularly those of religious persuasion like you and Ma."

His father nodded silently, unable to answer the weighty question, even after all these years. Clark now knew why he was so different, but this answer only raised more questions. Why was he sent here? Where was he truly from? What was his species? More importantly, were there more of them – or was he the last of his kind? He ran his hands across the cool metal surface, but it gave him no answers. He looked back at the man who had raised him. Jonathan Kent was suddenly not Clark's father, but Clark's adoptive Earth father. Somewhere, far away, was another man and woman who had given life to Clark Kent, and who had given him a name not of this Earth.

"The question not where I'm from," Clark said at last. "The question is how I will use my powers to make this world a better place."

"I believe you were sent here for a reason, Son. I don't know what that reason is, or whose reason it is, but you were sent here for a reason – and that reason ain't to score touchdowns."

-S-

Doctor Lang had just finished up his work and was shutting down his computer when none other than Lionel Luthor came walking into his lab.

"Doctor Luthor …."

"Save it," Luthor barked. "I'm here … about your daughter."

Lang looked at him with puzzlement. "My daughter? She's a cheerleader – she has no scientific aptitude at all."

"No, but she and her boyfriend have been among those who have ostracized my son. I was told that when Clark Kent intervened during a beating my son was receiving, she tried to stop him. Let her know that if she values her father's job, she will break up with that football player, and start treating Lex with the respect that a genius level intellect deserves."

Lionel said no more, turning on the heels of his fine Italian shoes, and leaving. Doctor Lang realized that he was trembling. He knew that Lana and Lex did not get along, but had not realized that it was that serious, or had gotten back to Lex's father. He imagined that had he not been instrumental in some of Luthor-Corp's high-level projects that Lionel would have fired him on the spot – or worse. The rumors about Lionel Luthor having shady connections had swirled for years, and Doctor Lang now feared for his life … and Lana's.

-S-

It was a quarter past eight when a tearful Lana arrived at the Kent home and rang the doorbell. Her world had just been turned upside down, and Clark, her oldest friend, was the only one who could help her make sense of it. She only hoped that the rift between them had not grown too deep. She was about to find out as the door opened, and Clark Kent stood in front of her. Lana could not put her finger on it, but there was something different about him tonight.

"Lana," he said neutrally. Then a look of concern came over him. "Lana, what's wrong?"

"Can we talk … outside?"

He nodded and stepped outside and did something he had not done since freshmen year—he hugged her. Lana held tightly to her friend. His warm embrace reminded her of better times—simpler times.

"Lionel Luthor said things to my father. He … he's worried for his job. Luthor holds me partly responsible for the things that happened to Lex." Clark opened his mouth, but Lana cut him off. "I know that I treated him … badly, Clark. If I had been with you instead of Brad …."

"Hush, Lana." Clark ran his fingers through her hair, something he used to do in junior high before Lana met Brad. It comforted her. "What's done is done. It's not the past that matters, Lana, but the future."

"Clark, I went to break up with Brad—my father insisted—and I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to hurt him … but I found him in his car with Margaret, lip-locked and her shirt half off."

Clark just held her as she sobbed. She was glad that he did not lecture her about her own behavior as it pertained to Lex, and felt like she finally had her friend back. Lana hoped briefly that she and Clark might pick up where she and Brad had left off, but then thought better of it—it was best to just be happy with having his friendship back. If romance came later, then she would welcome it, but if not, then at least she had mended their fences.

"Let's walk, Lana."

She took his hand and walked with him, drinking in his warmth in the cool evening air. He had always been warm, but until now, she had never really paid attention. Brad's embrace was never this warm. His hands were cold by comparison.

"I'm glad you came by, Lana—I needed someone to talk to."

"Clark?"

"I learned some things about who I am—what I am."

Lana squeezed his hand, trying to comfort him, though in truth, she could not tell if he was upset. Since freshman year, her connection with him had been broken, and the signs and signals that had once been so familiar were now like a second language that she had not spoken in years.

"I'm here for you, Clark, whatever you need." She stopped and looked up at him. "I know I messed up our friendship, but I promise, I won't do it again."

Clark smiled. "I know, Lana. It's okay."

"So, what's on your mind, Clark?"

"I need you to keep a secret, Lana. You're my best friend, even if we've been in a rut, and I need to talk to someone besides my parents."

"You have my word, Clark Kent—your secret's safe with me." Lana grinned at him, and he smiled back.

"I'm quitting the football team as soon as Brad's hand is healed."

"What?" Lana looked at him aghast. "Clark, you can't! You'd be throwing away an opportunity to be the greatest quarterback of all time!"

"It's not an opportunity that I want," he explained. "It wouldn't be fair to the others—none of them are as good as I am." Had it been anyone else, it would have sounded like bragging, but coming from Clark, it was just matter of fact. "Besides, I think … I think I want to change the world."

"Change the world?" Lana offered a perplexed smile. "You mean like do something so big that everything would change?"

"Lana, do you know how many children around the world die every year from hunger or easily preventable diseases?"

"You want to be a doctor?" She knew he was smart. It made sense that the kindhearted farmhand would want to be a doctor, but Clark continued as they walked.

"No, Lana, though I thought about it. There are wars, despots, warlords, drug lords and gangs. People kill people, and the needy and the marginalized are always the most grievously wounded. Then there are natural disasters and industrial accidents. People need help."

"You want to change all that?" She looked at him like he was out of his mind. "Clark, nobody can change that! Besides, even if people could, it would take an army, and your just one man."

Clark nodded. "One man can change everything … if he's the right man."

"Clark, you're a great football player, an' you're smart as a whip, but the problems you're talking about—people tried to fix it for ages, an' ain't nobody's even come close! How do you think you could even make difference?"

Suddenly, he scooped her up in his arms. Brad had never been able to lift her so effortlessly. "Perhaps the best way to show you … is to just show you."

With that, Clark leapt into the air. At first, Lana thought that he was showing off his athletic prowess. Then, she realized that they were not coming down. She gripped him tight, and let out a whimper as Clark continued to rise above the Earth as effortlessly as he might climb the stairs. She could see Smallville below them, and as they rose higher and higher, Smallville looked very small.

"You … you can fly," she gasped.

He nodded. "That's not all that I can do, Lana, though it is the power that I enjoy the most."

"Power?"

"I have … super powers, Lana. I can do … all kinds of things."

"Hearing you say 'super powers' would sound crazy if I weren't in your arms flyin' through the air!"

Clark brought Lana down behind the barn, and set her back on her feet. Lana felt her knees go weak, and Clark had to catch her. Her breathing came in rapid, shallow breaths, and her heart raced.

"Don't you see, Lana? With the power that I have, I cannot use it for personal gain. I have a duty and a responsibility to help those who cannot help themselves. I can't squander my talents on something as banal as football."

She thought Clark was going to tell her some bit of gossip. This—this changed everything. And in that moment, she knew there would not be a future for the two of them. Clark would selflessly give of himself to the entire world, and there would be nothing left for Lana Lang.

"I promise I won't tell nobody."

Clark hugged her, and she began to sob uncontrollably.

-S-

Chloe Sullivan pulled away from the telescope in shocked disbelief. She could hardly believe her eyes. She looked again, and sure enough, there was Clark Kent, flying through the air with Lana Lang. She had a camera rigged to her telescope, and she got several pictures of the unbelievable sight. Clark's assurances that he was not using performance enhancing drugs had weight behind them, as it was clear that it was no mere substance that gave him his extraordinary playing ability—Clark Kent had super powers!

And Chloe Sullivan had the pictures to prove it.


	6. Chapter 6 Smallville

"You turned down my father's offer of a career with Luthor-Corp. Why would you do that?" Lex sat across from Clark in the cafeteria. The bald genius had been somewhat distant and standoffish all morning, and finally, Clark knew why.

"I told him why; I plan to go into journalism."

Lex scrunched his nose. "Why would you want to do that? Your intellect will be wasted. And a career path at Luthor-Corp—with your mind, you could do amazing things with me! We could revolutionize the tech industry! I'll inherit the company one day, you know. Between me and my father, you'd have friends in very high places."

Clark nodded. "It's a tempting offer, Lex, it really is, but in the words of the Bard, to thine own self be true."

"I can respect that, Clark; my father said you were very polite and thankful—he really liked you. But why journalism?"

Clark shrugged. "It's what I've always wanted to do. The truth is important, and people deserve to hear it."

"You can say that again," Chloe said as she joined them and sat next to Clark, placing her lunch on the table.

"Chloe." Clark nodded to her, and then continued with Lex. "I can help people, Lex. As a journalist—as a reporter—I can bring attention to the plight of the downtrodden, and raise public awareness about …."

"Clark, the downtrodden and the public are just cattle to you and me," Lex insisted. "They're fickle, and stupid. They idolize fools like Brad and Lana for their looks and entertainment value, and scoff at geniuses like us."

Chloe laughed. "Lex, Clark is better looking and a far better athlete than Brad can ever hope to be …." She smiled and touched Clark's rough cheek. "And the round-the-clock five o'clock shadow? Don't know how you do it Clark, but boy, does it work!"

"True," Luthor conceded. "But Clark is above looks and athletics—it's not his fault he's gifted in both."

Chloe regarded Lex thoughtfully. "You know, Lex, you're not a bad looking fella yourself."

The young genius's cheeks reddened at the remark. "Thanks, but you do know that I'm bald, right?"

She shrugged. "Doesn't change your facial features.

Lex actually smiled at Chloe's compliment, and offered her no rebuttal. But he was far from done talking to Clark. "I'm sorry, Clark, but I just don't get it."

"I want to help people, Lex," Clark replied. "Yes, some of them are jerks. Can't be helped. Besides, the Good Book says that anyone can help people they like—Brad and his ilk are a good example of that. The challenge is helping people we don't like, or don't even know."

Lex chuckled. "Ah, that fine Christian upbringing of yours. At least you do it honor. But think about what I said, Clark—you could really make it at Luthor-Corp. You and I could be on top of the world!"

"Or … flying over it in your case, Clark," Chloe said, looking intently at him.

"You know, I'd be happy to cover your discoveries and advancements, Lex." Clark paused and took a bite of his sandwich, noticing—but not reacting to—Chloe's remark. "So many people are ignorant, and only need to be informed. Science and technology are remarkable, and people should see that. More should be going into the field."

"Says the guy with the genius intellect who just wants to be a journalist," Lex chided.

"Touché," Clark replied with a grin.

"When you make it big as a reporter, Clark," Lex said with seriousness, "I will expect you to make good on that promise. Come and see what Luthor-Corp is doing, and I guarantee you, you'll have a story that will amaze your readers!"

Kent reached across the table and shook Luthor's hand. "Deal."

Pete and Lana joined them next; Pete sitting to Lex's left, and Lana on Clark's right across from Pete.

"I'm sorry for my behavior, Lex," Lana offered. "It wasn't right."

Lex regarded her for a few moments, emotions ranging from anger to vindication crossing his visage. Finally, he nodded. "Apology accepted, Miss Lang. It takes maturation to admit when you're wrong—I respect that."

Lana nodded. "Thank you. I talked with Clark yesterday, and … he gave me a better perspective on life. I see things differently."

Lana never looked Clark in the eye for the rest of their afternoon meal. When they were done, everyone said their good bye's and stood to go their separate ways. Chloe caught Clark and Lana's sleeves. "I need to talk to you—both of you. Meet me in the school newspaper after school. It's important."

-S-

Clark walked with Lana to the school newspaper, observing her unusual quiet. Finally, he stopped and took her hands.

"Lana, you sobbed after … we talked last night. I thought you'd be happy, or at least amazed. You're still subdued today. What's wrong?"

She looked down, formulating the words, then looked up at him with tearful eyes. "It's because I know I can't have you. You're gonna belong to the world, Clark, an' you're gonna go off to college and then to the big city to do great things! I can't leave Smallville, Clark. I can't be the girl … the woman you need."

Clark regarded her for a few moments before responding. Ever since high school, the once inseparable duo had become distant, and only in the two days had Lana regained some semblance of her former self. Now, she was talking to him as though they had been in a very serious romantic long-term relationship.

"Lana, I … I don't know what to say. I had no idea you felt that way about me. I thought you and Brad …."

"I was a fool to ever date him, Clark … I just got tired of waitin' for you to ask me out."

"I didn't think I had to—I thought our feelings for each other were understood—we went everywhere together, did everything together, and even kissed. Then freshman year, you were all googly over Brad."

Lana's eyes teared up at his words, and she nodded silently. He hated hurting her—on some level, he loved her—but her behavior had hurt him deeply, and he refused to pretend that it had not.

Then she turned to him, tears rolling down her cheeks, and sobbed, "I was your girl! Why didn't you fight for me?"

"I shouldn't have had to," he replied. "If you really were my girl, no guy could have taken you away." He paused to let her absorb that, and then continued. "Now, you're talking about not being able to be with me because of my abilities—not exactly the words of someone who wants to try to be my girl."

Lana's mouth dropped open and her eyes widened as Clark's words sunk in, and Clark suddenly realized what had happened.

"You never liked him in the first place, did you?"

"No, not really."

"You just wanted to make me jealous of him—is that it?"

Lana just nodded.

Clark's eyes narrowed, and he folded his arms across his broad chest. "Never play games with people you care about Lana—those are the games you lose."

Before she had an opportunity to respond, Clark resumed the trek to the office of the school newspaper where Chloe awaited them. Lana followed wordlessly, and before long, they were standing in the headquarters of the Torch.

"Close the door behind you," Chloe said as they walked in. "In fact, I suggest locking it."

Clark did as she asked, and Chloe motioned for them to come to her desk, where she gestured to an eight and a half by eleven photograph which depicted Clark in full flight, carrying Lana Lang.

"How did you …." Lana looked at Chloe, then at Clark.

"I have a telescope that I use to watch the skies for U.F.O.s. Never thought I'd see you two flying though." Chloe looked intently at Clark. "Care to explain?"

"No, but since you've forced the issue, I suppose I have to," he conceded. "You're my friend, Chloe, so I expect you to keep this knowledge to yourself—I'm not human. I'm from … somewhere. My ship crashed here in 1966. I was an infant. The Kents found me and raised me as their own. I have no idea where I came from or who sent me; only that I was sent as an infant to Earth from … somewhere."

Chloe nodded, and removed a piece of greenish metal from her desk drawer. It was twisted and jagged, and Clark knew its source immediately. Chloe elaborated. "Remember when I said that strange rocks were found? This was one of them."

Clark took the chunk, and accidentally grabbed it by one of its jagged edges, and pain shot through his finger, causing him to drop the metal. The cut on his finger welled up with blood, and he quickly put the wounded digit into his mouth as Chloe handed him a band-aid.

"Damn thing cut me several times," the reporter confessed.

"Nothing's ever cut me," Clark observed as he put the band-aid on. "Nothing's ever hurt me—physically at least—until now. I recognize the metal, though. It's the same material my ship was made from. It must have become dislodged on entry into Earth's atmosphere." He regarded the object thoughtfully. "A substance hard enough that its edge could penetrate my invulnerable skin."

Lana looked at him incredulously. "Your skin's tough, but invulnerable?"

"I assure you, it is," Clark insisted. "Remember when my pa took us on that hunting trip, and another hunter almost shot him by mistake?"

"Yeah," Lana said warily.

"I caught the bullet."

Chloe made a whistling sound. "Faster than a speeding bullet!"

"Chloe," Clark said, "you must not tell anyone about this. If this get out …."

The reporter shook her head. "I promise, Clark, if it gets out, it won't be from me. I swear I won't tell a soul."

Then he turned to Lana. "That goes for you, too. Nobody can know about this, Lana. Nobody. Not even your father."

"But he might be able to help you," Lana protested.

"Help me what?" Clark shook his head. "He works for Luthor-Corp. Anything he found out about or for me would become Luthor-Corp's knowledge."

"You don't trust Luthor-Corp?" Chloe only half asked the question, but Clark shook his head.

"No, I trust the Luthors—Lex is my friend, and his father has given me no reason not to trust him. But Luthor-Corp is a corporation. If they have the knowledge, then on some level, it's out there. The Luthors might not do anything malicious with it, but industrial espionage is rampant. If the knowledge fell into the wrong hands, my family would be in danger. Heck, the Luthors could be in danger." Then he looked intently at Chloe. "You could be in danger."

"Well, I don't trust the Luthors," Lana said. "I know you think it's because of Brad, Clark, but it's not—Lex gives me the creeps, and I don't know why you hang out with him."

"Doesn't your father work for Luthor-Corp?" Chloe asked.

"Yes, and it terrifies me. The things I hear my father say about work … it's worrisome. I know my behavior was bad, but … Lionel made threats to my father over it. I've met him more than once on Take Your Daughter to Work Day, and something about him is … scary."

"Lex has given me no reason not to trust him, Lana, and unless he does, he's my friend. But let's not change the topic—you two need to keep my secret. Tell no one."

"What about Pete?"

"No, Lana; not even Pete. Nobody."

"I promise, Clark; your secret's safe with me."

"Me too," Chloe assured. "But if I come across any information that might help you, I'll share it."

-S-

Clark returned home after school and went immediately to the barn, and into the cellar where the rocket was hidden. He ran his hand across the cool surface of its green tinged hull, amazed still by the truth of his origins. This tiny ship came from another planet, possibly another galaxy. Who am I, he thought.

He opened the canopy and looked inside at the place where he had spent his earliest months. The ship had no controls—why would it? An infant could not pilot the craft—but it had writing. Strange glyphs were inscribed all over the interior of the ship. Clark touched one of them, and suddenly, they all lit up.

He pulled his hand back, but it seemed that only his brief touch was needed. A holographic image of a woman's head appeared over the craft. The woman had long auburn hair, and comely features, features which resembled his own. She regarded him thoughtfully, smiling as it seemed to see him. Then a beam emitted from its eyes and struck him in the forehead. The sensation was like an intense pressure, and he thought his head would explode. Then the pain was gone as quickly as it had come on.

"Kal El," her image said. "I have unlocked your knowledge of the Kryptonian language so that you might understand me. I am Lara Lor-Van, and I am your mother. Your father is Jor-El, Krypton's leading scientist—or at least we were. Krypton was doomed, and my husband adapted this experimental star-drive to accommodate your voyage to Earth, and thus save you from our planet's destruction." Lara's image teared up and she began sobbing. "Kal, I have only been able to hold you but briefly. I will never know if you arrived safely or know what kind of man you have grown into. I can only tell you that your father and I love you more than life itself. To send you away is my final gift to you, little Kal El. I give you life, even as your father and I perish. Good bye, my son. May Rao protect and guide you."

With that, the recording ended. Clark touched the woman's face before it winked out, but all he felt was air. Because of relativity, it was entirely likely that Krypton had been destroyed for thousands, perhaps millions of years by the time he arrived on Earth. Lara Lor-Von's answers only raised more questions, but at least one answer was unambiguous: he was loved by his Kryptonian parents.

"Thank you, Mother," he said aloud as the tears rolled down his cheeks.


	7. Chapter 7 Smallville

It was mid-November, by the time Brad's hand had finally healed, keeping Clark on as starter for longer than the farmhand would have preferred. He toned down his performance, doing just well enough to win games—but not all of them. Winning was the job of his teammates too, and after that first game, he was not about to win on their behalf. Truthfully, he considered losing on purpose, but doing that went against his personal code of ethics. Also, for the first time, Smallville was heading to the play-offs, regardless of the outcome of this weekend's game, the final one of the season.

His teammates were understandably upset that he was planning to quit when Brad returned, but Clark saw no other option; Chloe now knew about his powers, and he had already told Lana. He also thought that Lex suspected, but Clark could not be certain of that.

The Wednesday was at an end, and as Clark walked toward the front door to leave, Lana and Pete at his side, Lex fell in line and joined them.

"Hey, Clark."

"Hey, Lex," Clark replied. "What's going on?"

Lana and Pete both greeted their bald friend, seeming more at ease with him now.

"I wanted to discuss football."

Clark, Lana, and Pete looked incredulously at Lex as they walked.

"You hate football, Lex," Lana exclaimed.

"Yeah," Pete agreed. "You think they're all subhuman except for Clark."

"They are," Lex agreed. "But I don't think you should quit the team, Clark."

Clark shrugged. "Why not?"

"Because," Lex explained, "you're the only one on the team who didn't need some kind of work around with your grades in order to play. Besides, signing up for the football team – as pedestrian as ball sports are in my opinion – represents a commitment. You're the kind of man who honors his commitments. It goes against your character to quit."

Lex had a point, and Clark could not disagree without revealing the real reason he planned to quit the team.

"You have a point Lex," Kent conceded. "But I feel like I'm playing below my weight – my skills and abilities are such that it feels like I'm cheating."

Pete shrugged. "Not your fault you're that good."

"No," Clark agreed, "but I have no aspirations for professional or college ball, and honestly, I don't enjoy it. How can I get psyched up when I know I'm going to win without even trying?" He hoped he had not said too much in front of Lex.

Luthor grinned. "We do that in academics every day, Clark."

Kent agreed again. "Yes, but in academics, I'm not competing with anyone but myself, while in football, I'm competing head to head with people who are so far below my own level that I may as well be playing against children."

Lex nodded. "When Brad is back, return to second string."

"That's the coach's decision," Lana interjected. "Players don't get to choose who's first string an' who ain't."

"I can be persuasive," Clark assured. "Thank you, Lex; you're right – I made the commitment and I should honor it."

-S-

That afternoon at practice, Brad returned, and Clark asked to be put back at second string, much to the disappointment of Coach Quigley, who had gotten used to the steady stream of wins that Clark had brought him.

"Sorry, Clark, but you're hotter than Brad ever was. Unless you can give me a very good reason to put you back to second string, you're my starter."

Clark looked at Brad and shrugged. "Sorry, Brad; I tried."

Brad only nodded glumly. His former bluster and confidence was gone – Clark was the star now. He had humiliated Brad in front of everyone, Lana was back with him, even though the two were not dating, and the team idolized the big farm boy who could throw like the pros. For Brad, the worst part was that it was clear that Clark was not even trying. Even at his best, Brad was no match for Clark at his worst.

Then Clark had an idea. "Coach, it's the last game of the season, and we have our play-off spot. Why not let Brad start? It'll give me a break, and if things look bad, then you can always put me back in."

The coach considered this thoughtfully, and then grinned. "You're a good man, Kent. You really do understand team work. Alright, Son; but when the playoffs start, you're starting."

-S-

Clark took his seat in A.P. biology class, and Lex took the seat next to him. Theirs was a strange friendship. Clark was tall, muscular, and good looking, exuding an earnest, friendly demeanor, while Lex was brooding and aloof, with his bald head and slight build making him look even more out of place next to Kent.

"I hear you're the starter from here on out," Lex noted.

"Unfortunately. I hoped that when Brad was back, things could go back to normal, but …."

Luthor just laughed. "There's nothing normal about us, Clark, and especially about you! You can do great things, and people will expect it of you – you just have to accept that. It's why my father wants to recruit you."

"Lana, Pete, Chloe, and I are getting together tonight," Clark said, changing the subject. "We were hoping you'd join us."

Lex did a double take. "You guys want to hang out with me … outside of school?"

Clark smiled. "Yeah; it'll be fun. We're playing Monopoly. Bring your little sister if you want – it'll make it even numbers."

"Lena?" Lex was visibly puzzled. "She's only in seventh grade, but Monopoly is rated G, so sure, but … why do you need even numbers?"

"We pair off and play in teams," Clark explained. "That way, I don't win all the time."

Lex shook his head, a bemused smile on his face. "Do you organize all your activities so that you don't outshine the people around you?"

"Not all of them," Clark said with a grin. "I guarantee you I did better on the exam last week than everyone else in this class, yourself excluded."

"Oh?" Lex was surprised. "You think I did better?"

"No – we both scored perfectly, I'm sure."

Before Lex could answer, Miss Warren – the teacher walked in and began returning the graded exams to the students. Sure enough, both Clark and Lex had perfect scores, while the rest of the class had some amount of red ink on their papers.

"Join us tonight, Lex. It'll be fun."

"You know, I think I will."

-S-

Lana, Pete, Clark's new friend, Chloe, and Clark set up the Monopoly board in the Kent's living room while Ma cooked her famous apple pie. As soon as the pies went into the oven, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," she called as she went to the front door and opened it, letting in the cool November air.

Much to her surprise, a grinning Lionel Luthor and his two children, Lex and Lena stood on the porch. Lex looked about how she expected, but was taller than she had thought he would be. Lena was a petite, slight girl who came up to Lex's shoulder. Unlike Lex, Lena had a full head of luxuriant dark brown hair. Large blue eyes made her look almost like a character from one of those Japanese cartoons Clark liked.

Both children were well dressed, Lex in what looked like the latest GQ business-casual attire, wearing a navy-blue sport-coat with tan elbow patches, a white turtleneck shirt, and tan pants, while Lena wore a red blouse and a navy skirt, her legs sheathed in blue hose.

"Mister Luthor," Ma said warmly. "Good to see you again. And this must be Lex and Lena. My, but aren't you two dressed up nicely!"

"Mrs. Kent," Lex said formally, making a bow. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Thank you for having us," Lena added.

"Won't you come in?" Ma Kent escorted them inside. As she passed the living room, she called, "Clark, you have guests."

"Lex, Lena," Clark called, standing from his seat on the floor to greet them. "Doctor Luthor," he added. "Good to see you again!"

Lionel shook Clark's hand. "Likewise, Clark. I hear you're the new starter."

Clark nodded. "Yes, Sir. Didn't expect it once Brad was back, but there it is."

"And the Crows are no longer eating their namesake," Lex noted with a grin. "So, Clark, what are these "Monopoly teams" you were talking about?"

"I want to be on his team," Lena blurted out as she pointed at Clark, the young girl's eyes filled with admiration for the big varsity quarterback.

Pete and Chloe laughed, Lex raised his left eyebrow, and Lana pouted. Ma Kent just laughed.

"Come on Lionel," she said. "Jonathan is brewing coffee, and I always have sweet tea. Pies are coming out of the oven in just a bit."

Lionel stood contemplatively for a moment and then said, "I was going to leave, but you know? I think I'll stay and enjoy your hospitality."

As the adults retreated to the kitchen, the six kids were gathered around the coffee table in the Kent's living room, each seated cross legged on the floor. Lex and Lena seemed unused to such a casual setting, but as soon as Clark took his seat at the "Go to Jail" corner of the board, Lena put aside her formal upbringing and joined him on the floor.

Her large blue eyes remained fixed upon Clark Kent, much to Lana's chagrin.

"I thought you'd want to be on my team," Lex noted with mock disappointment as he took a seat at the "In Jail" corner and winked at Clark.

Lena shook her head, grinning. "We play chess all the time, Lex. We're with new friends, so we should mix with them, should we not?"

"Fair point," Lex conceded. "Lana, I choose you."

"Me?" Lana looked perplexed.

"Guess that leaves us, Pete," Chloe noted.

"That's right," Pete said enthusiastically. "Prepare to fall to our hotels," he warned the others as he and Chloe took their seat at the "Free Parking" corner and took the money tray. "And while we're at it, we're the bankers."

"Then you can begin enriching us," Lex announced.

As Pete passed out the money and the others chose their pieces, Ma Kent brought out sweet tea and lemonade to the kids except for Lex and Lena. At each of their corners, she placed two teacups.

"I'm told you both prefer coffee," Clark's mother said.

"Thank you ever so much," Lena said as she took the cup. Somehow, it sounded earnest and uncontrived, in spite of the girl's overly formal manner.

Lex took a sip and grinned. "This is excellent, Mrs. Kent; thank you – it reminds me of my mom's coffee."

"You're quite welcome, Lex." Then she looked at Clark. "Looks like Lena's your new best friend."

"And Lana is mine," Lex said with an impish grin.

Lena beamed, and Lana offered a smile and a nod.

"Pete," Mrs. Kent noted, "You and Chloe look ready to clean up over here. I think you may have the others outmatched."

Pete and Chloe high-fived, but Lena giggled.

"I'm as smart as my brother …" the Luthor girl began.

"Smarter," Lex interjected.

"Yes," Lena agreed. "And Clark – according to Lex – is as smart as either of us. I think it is we who shall be victorious."

"May the best team win," Lana declared.

"Challenge accepted," Clark replied with a grin.

-S-

As the kids whiled away their time playing Monopoly, the Kents and Lionel Luthor conversed in the kitchen over coffee. It did not take long for the topic of Clark's interest in journalism to come up.

"Lex tells me that Clark has offered to, in his future career, cover groundbreaking discoveries made at Luthor-Corp," the elder Luthor opened.

Pa Kent nodded. "I imagine that would be a daily occurrence—your company makes groundbreaking discoveries all the time."

Lionel laughed. "Oh, if only that were true—we work hard every day to make those discoveries and new technologies happen every year or two. There is a new discovery, however, one that I hope will mean big things for Luthor Corp. We've been working to crack it for almost twenty years, but this week, we did it!"

Martha smiled approvingly. "That's wonderful, Lionel! I'm sure it will be everything you're hoping for."

"I'm hoping for a lot," Lionel said with a laugh. "However, if Clark is willing to highlight our work in the future, that would be a huge boon to our company." Then he leaned back and looked out into the living room at his children playing with their friends. "If only Lilian were here to see the work we've done, and to see Lex and Lena. She would have loved Clark." Then he smiled wistfully. "Lex takes after her in so many ways."

"She must have been a wonderful woman," Martha posited.

Lionel nodded. "I miss her every day. But I see her in my children, which is a blessing in itself. I'm sure you both feel the same way about Clark—the best of each of you wrapped up in one fine young man." Then he chuckled and added, "Lena seems to have developed quite a crush on your boy."

Martha almost froze at the statement about Clark being the best parts of Jonathan and her. There was nothing of either her or her husband in Clark apart from the love they had given him. Perhaps that was the most important part. The thought made her smile, but before she could respond, the buzzer went off, interrupting the conversation.

"The pies!" Ma Kent jumped up and got the potholders and removed the pies from the oven.

Soon, everyone was enjoying Ma Kent's famous apple pie, ice cream, and either coffee, tea, or soda. Lex and Lena's eyes bulged wide at the sight. Not having a mom to make such delights, Ma Kent imagined that the Luthor children only had deserts from fine confectionaries or at restaurants—Lionel did not seem the cooking type.

Lena took a bite of the pie, and her eyes lit up. "Mrs. Kent, this is … magnificent!"

"Delicious," Lex agreed.

Chloe agreed. "Where did you learn to bake like this?"

"Lana an' me have been havin' pie at the Kents' place all our lives," Pete said. "It's the real reason we hang out with Clark."

"It's an old recipe from Jonathan's ma," Martha Kent revealed. "It sounds like y'alls are havin' a grand old time out here playing Monopoly—thought it was time for a food break."

"Yeah," Chloe noted. "Lex and Lana are killing us!"

Lex and Lana high five each other, but Clark and Lena just laughed.

"We haven't played our masterstroke," the young Luthor girl announced, still looking admiringly at Clark.

"It'll have to wait," Pa Kent said as he walked in, carrying his coffee. "Ma's apple pie is an institution."

Lionel laughed. Martha noticed that he laughed without reservation. It was a healthy, hearty laugh, and it made her feel very much at ease around the tech mogul.

"I tell you, I don't think we've been this happy since …." Lionel began. Lex and Lena nodded.

"Mother would have loved being here tonight," Lex declared. "You're the best friends I've ever had—you especially, Clark. I won't forget you; any of you."

"But we've got a whole 'nother year of high school," Pete said with puzzlement.

"No," Clark said, "you have another whole year of high school. Lex and I have enough credits to graduate this year."

"I think we both could have graduated earlier," Lex noted, "But Father thought that it was important to remain in high school for socialization."

"No fair," Lana gasped. "I … I won't see you no more … will I?"

Clark looked at her with puzzlement. "Why do you say that? I'm not leaving the country."

"No, but I know you'll leave Smallville."

"Clark has a full scholarship to Emerson College," Pa Kent said proudly. "No one in my family ever went to college—Clark'll be the first."

"You and your wife made that possible," Lionel noted. "Lex will be off to M.I.T, while Lena … I think Lena will do great things." He looked at Lana, Chloe, and Pete. "She's starting high school next year—the girl is brilliant—I hope you'll look out for her."

Chloe smiled, and reached across taking Lena's hand. "She's always got a place with us."

"Even after we graduate," Lana added, though she was still very distressed over Clark's sooner than expected departure for college. She would be losing Clark forever, somehow, she knew. He did not seem to think so, but Lana was certain. She prayed that Clark was correct.

Clark suddenly froze, looking intently at … something. Then he stood. Lana's heart skipped a beat. Clark wore blue jeans his blue "Smallville High" jersey with a big red "S" on the chest, and to her, Clark looked like a comic book superhero.

"What is it, Clark?" Ma asked.

"Old Bessie again?" Jonathan mentioned the old dairy cow.

"No," Clark said. "Something else …." Without explaining, Clark Kent took off, leaving a bewildered gathering of friends and family. Chloe and Lana looked at each other, both knowing the truth.


	8. Chapter 8 Smallville

The sonic boom could not be helped – there was no time for subtlety. Clark had never pushed the limits of his speed before, but tonight, he hoped that his limits were fast enough. The airpark was not far, but the plane would never make it. The small, single engine craft had suffered mechanical failure, and the inexperienced pilot at the stick was panicking as the plane dove toward the ground.

Clark flew to the underside of the plane and began pushing it upward, until the plane was no longer in a nosedive. He then flew to the airpark, holding the plane aloft with his left hand. Clark could hear the pilot's conversation with the tower as he carried the plane. The pilot was surprised and could not explain the plane leveling off. Then a spotlight shown on the plane and he heard the controller in the tower exclaim, "Holy … there's a man carrying your plane!"

Clark's feared that his secret was out. He was now being photographed, but there was nothing he could do – the pilot's life was in his hands. Clark took the plane down, setting it on the tarmac, hoping that nobody had managed to get a clear shot of his face. Luckily, Clark did not know anyone at the airpark, so none of them would recognize him. He opened the door to the plane and looked in on the pilot.

"You're safe now, Sir." Clark looked at the pilot – a man in his mid-twenties, who just stared at him, mouth agape, nodding rapidly. Clark turned to leave, and then looked back and added, "I hope this little incident hasn't put you off flying, Sir – statistically speaking, it's still the safest way to travel."

With that, Clark took off, shattering the sound barrier as he departed the airpark. It was the first public use of his true power, but he was certain that nobody could identify him. He hoped he was right as he landed behind the Kent farmhouse and went back inside.

-S-

Clark Kent had run off to deal with … something. The adults and older kids were all speculating as to what the big quarterback might have run off to do. Ma and Pa Kent were worried, Lionel was bewildered, and Lex was puzzling it out with his analytical mind as only Lex could do, speculating that Clark had forgotten something important, had an epiphany of some kind that demanded his immediate attention, or that he had been somehow alerted by a girl from school and was secretly meeting up with her. Pete thought that last one was cool, but as Lana and Chloe discounted each of Lex's theories, none of them had noticed little Lena Luthor slip outside.

Lex had regaled his little sister with stories of his new best friend, Clark Kent, and Lena had anxiously looked forward to meeting the tall, handsome football player with the two hundred I.Q. Lex had promise that she would love him, and love him she did. Clark was intelligent, witty, and kindhearted. Her brother was brilliant, and she loved him dearly, but he carried himself with an air of arrogance. Clark, on the other hand, was easygoing and approachable, and never made the others in the group look small.

She too wondered what it was that had gotten Clark's attention, and could not help herself when he bolted from the room. Lena followed him outside and saw him leap into the air … and never come down. Clark flew, breaking the sound barrier and disappearing from her sight. She crept back inside, and the conversations about Clark were still in full swing. Lena now understood why Ma and Pa Kent looked so nervous—they knew that Clark was superhuman.

Mrs. Kent left the conversation, returning with another pie. "Who wants more hot apple pie? Fresh from the oven."

All of the kids, and her father as well, jumped at the opportunity as Mister Kent brought Lionel Luthor another coffee. Lena ate her pie, watching the door.

"Not the first time he's done that."

Lena jumped from surprise, as Lex had quietly walked up behind her without her notice, something for which he had a supreme talent. Her brother chuckled.

"Do you like him, Lena?"

She nodded. "He's very handsome, but he's ever so much nicer than the boys in my class."

"I admire him."

That made Lena do a double take. "You don't admire anyone, Lex."

"Clark changed that. Truthfully, he's the only real friend I've ever had—besides you, of course."

At home, Lex dropped his arrogant aloofness for Lena, but rarely did so with her when in mixed company. This was one of those moments, and she treasured it. She wished that he would do so more often—it might help him make friends. The door opened, and Lena jumped to her feet as Clark walked back into the room.

"Sorry about that," Clark said as he stepped inside. He looked at Lena and said, "I didn't mean to worry you." His gentle smile and soft tone put her at ease. Then he looked at his parents and said, "Everything's fine. I think I'll help myself to some more pie."

"Good to know son," Pa Kent said, seemingly satisfied that the matter was resolved.

Lionel looked like he could not decide if he was perturbed or relieved that Clark had pronounced whatever it was to be "Fine." Relief won out, and the Luthor patriarch flashed a broad grin at the younger Kent. "You're proactive and quick, Clark Kent. I like that. If you ever reconsider …."

Lex actually lit up at his father's suggestion of Clark reconsidering working for Luthor Corp.

"You, Lex, and Lena will be the first to know, I assure you," Clark replied. "I am honored by the offer, Sir."

Clark was polite, and unlike his parents and Lana, he did not sound like a country boy. His midwestern accent made him sound more like a young Peter Jennings, while Lana and the Kents sounded like they had stepped off of the set of the Dukes of Hazzard. He showed gratitude toward Lionel Luthor, but was never servile like Lana's father.

Lena realized that Clark was perhaps the only person other than Lex she had ever met who was not the least bit intimidated by her father. He handled Lionel like an equal, not a superior, while at the same time, showed the respect that a man of Lionel's caliber should be accorded. Looking at Lana and Pete—and even Lex—it was hard for her to believe that Clark was only seventeen.

Of course, Clark could fly. Who knew what else he could do? She looked over at Lana and Chloe and saw them both exchange a look of understanding with Clark, and realized that they too knew the secret. Lex, her father, and Pete were the only ones in the room who did not know. And Chloe and Lana had no idea that Lena knew.

-S-

The game ended with Lex and Lana winning. Neither Clark nor Lena seemed to have their minds in the game, but winning was no longer the object for Lena. She was more interested in her brother's new friends. She noticed a new closeness between Lana and Lex. Not romantic, but they had come to an understanding. Lex now had something that he had never possessed: a circle of friends. Lena was happy for her brother.

As everyone began leaving, Lena shook Clark's hand. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mister Kent. My brother speaks very highly of you, and rightfully so."

"You're always welcome, Lena," Clark assured. "You too, Lex—don't be a stranger."

"Now that I've had your mom's apple pie," Lex said, "I think I'll be a regular."

"We'll be happy to have you," Ma Kent declared.

Lionel shook Pa Kent's hand, and in a surprisingly demonstrative display, actually hugged Ma Kent.

"You have made my son and daughter feel welcome in your home." He looked at the teens and smiled. "Thank you for including them this evening." Then his eyes landed on Lana. "Lex said you two had some friction, but that you made things right. That means something to me young lady, and I won't forget it." Then he looked at the group again. "You're all welcome in our home. Please, feel free to call at your leisure." Finally, he looked at Clark. "Graduation is only a few months away. I will watch your career with great interest." Then he added, "I see you've finally shaved. It looks much more professional."

There was something almost prophetic in the way her father spoke, which made Lena wonder if he knew about Clark too.

Once the Luthors left, Pete begged off and left as well, leaving Clark, his parents, Lana, and Chloe.

"Alright, Clark," Chloe said. "What happened?"

The elder Kents looked at Clark with alarm, but he assured them. "It's alright; Chloe and Lana know about my powers. We can trust them."

"That better be true," Pa Kent warned. "The more people who know, the less you'll be able to keep your secret from falling into the wrong hands. However, I'm with Chloe; I'd like to know what in tarnation was so darned important that you had to run off like that."

"A plane was going down," Clark explained. "Inexperienced pilot; he would have crashed if I hadn't guide him back to the airpark—don't worry; I made sure nobody saw my face."

Ma looked worried. "Jonathan, what are we gonna do?"

"Now don't get yourself all wound up, Martha," Pa Kent counseled. "Nothin' to be done now anyway. Clark made the decision—probably saved a man's life—now, he's gotta accept responsibility for what happens … if anything."

"I hope you were careful, Clark," Chloe warned. "I caught you on camera flying with Lana."

"You did what?" Ma Kent glared at Clark. "How could you be so irresponsible?"

"I'm sorry, Ma Kent," Lana implored. "It was my fault …."

"No, Lana," Clark corrected. "It was mine. I don't regret showing you—it was the only way for you to make sense of it."

"First football," Pa Kent scolded. "Then flyin' Lana an' now this—you're not bein' careful, Son. They may not know it's you, but they know it's someone—someone in Smallville."

-S-

Metropolis, Delaware—Lois Lane sat at her desk in the office of the Daily Planet. Perry White had hired her, and had very high expectations of the young reporter, but thus far, she had yet to deliver anything substantial. In fact, she was struggling to swim with the sharks. Perry had hired the fiery young reporter to shake things up, but so far, the only thing she had shaken was Perry's confidence in her. Veteran reporters continued to outshine her, and thanks to a concerted effort by one veteran to make her look bad, one of her "sources" turned out to be fake, causing her to lose credibility, and the paper to have to print a retraction. Her career was on thin ice, and she needed a story.

The mail courier walked past her desk and laid a manila envelope down in front of her. Lois took it from his hands before it hit the desk, saying a quick "Thank you" as she scanned the sender's name: Chloe Sullivan.

Lois opened it and found a copy of the Smallville Gazette and a smaller, white envelope inside. On the cover of the Gazette was a picture of what looked like a teen boy holding onto an airplane, though it was captioned as being a picture of a flying teen aged boy who actually bore the stricken plane to the runway. The story looked like small-town drivel, and Lois could never believe the accounts of such inarticulate people from the deep south. But her cousin, Chloe sent it, and Chloe had never steered Lois wrong. The boy, who looked powerfully built enough to be a man, wore a Smallville High sweatshirt with an "S" and what looked like blue jeans and work boots. His face was partially obscured, but what she could see—the mouth and jaw—had that youthful teen look. The paper's headline read, "Smallville Superboy Saves Plane!"

Then Lois looked at the white envelope. An attached post-it read, "He's real."

Lois opened the envelope and found picture after picture of the same young man in flight carrying a teenaged girl, along with a letter from Chloe.

 _Dear Lois,_

 _The Gazette broke this, but nobody else has picked it up yet. He's the real deal. I know him, and he's a friend. I don't want to out him, but now that it's out there, somebody needs to handle this thoughtfully, and you're the only one I can trust. He could change the world, but if he's outted too soon or in the wrong way, he'll never get the chance. He needs you. Please, hurry!_

 _Chloe._

 _P.S. He's cute and wants to be a reporter._

The letter was all the proof Lois needed. Now all she had to do was convince Perry to let her head out to Smallville, Kansas to pursue a story about a flying boy. _He'll probably fire me_ , she thought, but with her job on the line, what did she have to lose?


	9. Chapter 9 - Smallville

"Smallville Superboy Saves Plane!"

Ma Kent stared at the Smallville Gazette as she stood in line at the supermarket on Saturday. Normally, she paid no attention to the smalltime gossip rag, but this time, she knew the headline was no joke, and she felt the color drain from her face and her head get light. Her world was unravelling. The government would find out, come and take Clark, and then she would never see him again. She picked up a copy and put in with her groceries. Pa Kent was going to be furious, and Clark – the poor boy was just trying to do what was right, and he saved a man's life. Was his secret worth that? Was it worth letting the pilot die? Martha thought not, but she was not so sure about Pa.

As the clerk rang her up, he looked at her with a bit of puzzlement. "Mrs. Kent, you don't normally read this nonsense."

"I do today, Jed. I do today."

"You don't think it's true, do you?" Then before she could answer, he added, "I mean, I hope it is – we sure could use a hero like him right now. People need some hope, what with all the wars and conflict around the world. An' to think he's from right here in Smallville!"

This made her pause and rethink Clark's actions. Hope – it was in short supply these days. The threat of nuclear war was in the news practically every day, and skyjackers and terrorists were seemingly everywhere nowadays. Then here comes her boy, plucking a crashing plane from the sky and setting the hapless pilot down safely. She smiled in spite of her fears.

"That he is, Jed. That he is."

As she pushed her groceries out to the curb, she pondered the amount of strength needed to actually catch and redirect a plane. Clark was photographed doing it with only one hand. She had seen her son lift farm equipment that weighed tons, but to fly into the air and catch a falling plane …. she shook her head in amazement. What was the limit of Clark's power? Was there a limit? Could he even be hurt?

Her son could see through solid objects, hear and see up to incredible distances, and he even had laser vision powerful enough to weld broken farm equipment. If the government did come for him, could they even take Clark if Clark did not wish to be taken? Perhaps her world was not unraveling after all.

-S-

Lena Luthor put the newspaper clipping of the Smallville Superboy up on her wall, right beside her bed. She had never had posters in her room – her father discouraged it, and Lena agreed. Posters put holes in the wall or marred the paint. They also looked less than classy. This was different.

Clark Kent was the Smallville Superboy. Nobody else in her house knew. Lena was sure that the Clark had a girlfriend his own age – Lana did nothing but stare longingly at Clark all evening at game night – but she could still dream. At the very least, he was a friend. She lay on her bed and gazed at the image on her wall of Clark saving the plane.

"Ah, Lena; first Clark, now the Smallville Superboy."

Lena sat bolt upright. "Lex! Don't sneak up on me like that! And why are you in my room?"

Lex smiled and shrugged. "I was coming to get you. I'm heading over to Clark's, and thought you might like to join us."

She felt her face flush at the announcement, and Lex smiled smugly, folding his arms.

"You have a crush on him, little sister."

She felt her face continue to redden at Lex's observation. "He's … he's very nice, Lex. He's also very handsome."

"What would he say if he knew you were infatuated with Superboy?"

Lena's mouth dropped open, but only an "ah" came out, as Lex walked past her and looked at the clipping.

"Unless … Clark _is_ Superboy."

Lex stared at the photo for a long moment. Though the Superboy's face was partially obscured, Lex recognized Clark's nose, mouth, and jawline. It was not lost on him that Clark was wearing the very same clothes on game night. Now it all made sense. Clark's amazing performance on the football field, the sudden disappearance from the game – Clark was a meta-human. Lex abruptly pulled the picture from the wall, eliciting an anguished, "Lex, no!" from Lena.

He handed her the folded paper. "Put this in a diary and tell no one! If this gets out, it'll be a disaster for Clark and the Kents!"

"What about Father?"

"Especially not Father," Lex insisted. "Now I know why Clark wants to be a journalist. Now, it all makes sense! If father finds out about Clark, he'll never have the opportunity to become what he wants to be; father will see to it. Keep this between us."

"I … I think Chloe and Lana know."

Lex nodded. "Chloe probably figured it out on her own, and Lana—well, Clark and she have history. She's probably known for years. How did you find out?"

"I … I followed him outside and saw him fly away," Lena confessed. "He broke the sound barrier, Lex. Is … is that even possible?"

Lex nodded. "Clearly it is—I heard it from inside." He hugged Lena and kissed her forehead. "Remember, Sis; mum's the word. Now, let's get ready and head over to see Clark and Lana."

"Lana's going to be there?"

Lex nodded.

"She doesn't really like you, you know."

He shrugged. "She hated me a few short weeks ago. Now, she merely dislikes, but tolerates me. Pete and Chloe like me, and Clark is a great friend—I can tolerate Lana for him."

Lex left his sister's room, reeling from the implications of the existence of a being like Clark. What was he? How did he get his powers? Luthor Corp had been working on unraveling the mysteries of a chunk of strange metal that had been found in Smallville in Wayne Irig's farm, which was right next to the Kent farm. He had seen the chunk of metal, and it looked like a piece of some kind of craft. It did not take much to put two and two together. The craft was breaking apart and had landed in the Kent farm, and Ma and Pa Kent had found it. Clark had been inside, of that, Lex was certain, likely a child, and the Kents raised him as their own. It certainly explained why he looked nothing like either Ma or Pa Kent.

Of course, this was all just theory. Lex needed proof, and he doubted that Clark would just tell him. Then a thought came to him: why not just ask? Clark would either deny it, and Lex would proceed as Lex always did and find the answers on his own, or his friend would come clean. He needed the right time, and the visit to the Kent Farm with Lena seemed perfect.

-S-

"Why, yes, Miss Lane—he spoke to me. He said, "I hope this little incident hasn't put you off flying. Statistically speaking, it's still the safest way to travel" before taking off and flying into the air."

Lois nodded and wrote down all of the pilot's statement and thanked him. "I'd like to see the plane if you don't mind, Mister Kline."

The pilot, Jack Kline nodded and stood. "Why of course, Miss Lane. Come right this way."

Kline led her to the plane outside. Lois examined it, and sure enough, there was an indentation in the shape of a man's left hand on the belly of the fuselage. Lois placed her hand into the print, and suddenly felt very small. Whoever this … super boy was, he was no mere boy. This mystery kid was large enough to have a hand bigger than her father's, and he was a fairly large man, and this super boy was strong enough to lift an airplane.

Somehow, this super boy had not only lifted the plane, but generated enough lift to keep the plane aloft. How? How could a human being fly? No jetpack in existence could generate the kind of lift needed to save Mister Kline's plane, and any jetpack that could would crush a man's arms in the process. Instead, this boy was sturdy enough that not only did he lift it without injury to himself, but he actually dented the plane.

"Mister Kline, how big was this … boy?"

"I reckon he had to be like six-two or six-three, Miss Lane, an' he looked like he weighed over two-thirty. If it weren't for his face, I'd have thought he was a man."

"How old would you estimate him to be?"

"Bout sixteen, seventeen … maybe eighteen."

"Thank you." Lois smile and shook his hand. "I think I have all I need."

Lois went back to her car; a 1979 Pontiac Sunbird, and started the engine. She had spoken to the rescued pilot and the airpark employee who had taken the photo that made its way into the paper. Lois had photos of the airplane, the dent in particular, and of the pilot. She also had the photos that Chloe had sent her. It seemed that there was a story here after all. And thank heaven—Perry had only sent her out here to get her out of his hair. If she came back with a real story, perhaps her career would turn around. Now that she had begun investigating, it was time to pay Chloe a visit.

-S-

Lex and Lena arrived at the Kent farm. It was a bright and sunny afternoon, and Lex had opted to drive the brand new TVR Tasmin his father had given him on his sixteenth birthday. Lex loved the wind in the face feeling of the convertible, which made him wonder what it felt like to fly without any type of body suit or helmet.

"Here we are, Lena."

His little sister nodded vigorously, prompting him to laugh. Lena glared at him, but he smiled back at her, and her expression softened.

"Please, don't tease me, Lex. I get teased enough at school. Why father forces us to attend public school I'll never know."

"So that we can see just how far above them we are, Sis."

"I suppose," she conceded. "Still, I think we'd be just as far above private school students."

He shrugged. "Perhaps. Say, I wonder whose car that is."

A brand-new Oldsmobile Delta 88 sedan was parked in the driveway, and Lex knew that it did not belong to the Kents.

-S-

"What do you want, Ma?" Martha Kent had her hands on her hips as she faced her mother.

"To save you and your son from that good for nothing …."

"Don't you dare call Jonathan a good for nothing anything, Ma," Martha exclaimed, livid at her mother's words. "He works his fingers to the bone! Why, if it weren't for Clark …."

"Your farm would have been repossessed by the banks years ago," Mrs. Clark finished. "And even with Clark's help, they'll have it within a year. You've lined up bank loans to pay off bank loans. I doubt your boy knows. Once one defaults, the rest will fall like dominoes."

Martha's mouth dropped open. "How do you know?"

"You think I've ignored my daughter all these years?" Mrs. Clark laughed derisively. "I love you, Martha, even if you're a fool. And I have a grandson who looks so unlike Jonathan that I can only conclude that you either went to a sperm bank or had an affair. I have friends at the banks, and I know your situation. Your farm is dead in the water, and there is no amount of financial creativity left to save it."

"What if I saved it?"

Mrs. Clark whirled to face Lex Luthor. Martha had never been so glad to see the bald teen and his precocious little sister.

"Lex, I could never …."

"My father has money to burn, Mrs. Kent," Lex explained. "This is the only home outside my own where I've been made to feel welcome. I won't see it lost."

"Just who are you?" Mrs. Clark folded her arms and looked at Lex with daggers in her eyes.

"Lex Luthor."

Mrs. Clark's eyes went wide. Everyone knew who the Luthors were. The Luthors were a powerful family with roots in National City on the west coast. Some kind of deal worked out with the state and county governments had prompted Lionel Luthor to open a research facility outside of Smallville and he relocated his family to the small town, having a large mansion built atop a ten-acre lot. Lex was the heir to the Luthor fortune.

Nobody had any problems with the Luthors, but they did not belong. The Luthors were outsiders, and Lionel always seemed too good to be true. It always seemed like something was hidden just beneath the surface, but nobody could ever put their finger on it, and it scared them.

"So … you're consorting with the Luthors now."

Mrs. Clark's remark stung Martha. Her mother made it seem as though she had struck a deal with the devil. Lena winced at the comment, clearly bothered by it, but Lex just grinned.

"Luthors are good friends to have, Ma'am. We have money, resources, and influence. And nobody is "consorting" as you say—Clark has been a good friend to me at school, and I never forget a friend."

The sound of the front door closing interrupted the conversation. "Why are you doing this, Grandma?"

It was Clark and Lana. Lana hid behind Clark, clearly afraid of Martha's well-heeled mother. Clark, however, had no fear of the woman.

"To do what is best for my daughter and grandson, Clark Kent," Mrs. Clark insisted.

"You've always hated my father," Clark accused. "You've wanted this farm to fail all my life, and you've done everything you could to tear this family apart—when you weren't ignoring us."

"I believe I've overstayed my welcome." With that, Mrs. Clark left the house, leaving the Luthor siblings, Clark and Lana, and Martha Kent in the kitchen.

Martha collapsed into one of the kitchen chairs and began sobbing. She hated breaking down in front of Clark's friends, but she could not help it.

"I'll talk to my father tonight, Clark," Lex assured. "I'll also see what I can dig up about the banks; she's not the only one who has bankers as friends, you know."

"That's a generous offer, Lex," Clark said with gratitude. "I don't know that we could accept such an offer, though."

"Jonathan would never agree," Martha sobbed. "He's too stubborn."

"Our father can be very persuasive," Lena offered, speaking for the first time. "And do not believe the stories—he's a kind and generous man."

Lex pulled Clark aside. "There's something I need to ask you, Clark. Can we talk in private?"

Clark shrugged and nodded. "I'll be right back, Ma." He hugged his mother, who had regained her composure. "You sure you'll be alright?"

"Go ahead, Clark," Ma Kent insisted. "I'll be fine. The girls can keep me company. You and Lex go talk about whatever it is you two geniuses talk about."

Lex and Clark went out back, well out of earshot of the others. Lex noted that Clark's balled fists were shaking. He wondered at the extreme effort a being of such power had to exert when his emotions were running high. Lex knew that if Clark ever cut loose, he could kill people with his bare hands. _Have to be careful with this one_ , Lex thought.

"Clark, Lena saw you fly away."

His friend looked at him with unsettled resignation. "It's all coming apart, Lex. I had to save that man—no secret's worth a man's life. But now …."

"Now, it's in the Smallville Gazette, and the circle of people who know your secret is growing. You can't hide it forever, Clark. We're meant for great things, you and I, and clearly, working in a lab at Luthor Corp is not what you are destined for."

"No, but if I did go to work with your father, I could honestly earn the money to save my family's farm."

"You'd regret it for the rest of your life," Lex admonished. "Your family doesn't have to lose their farm for you to do what you've dreamed of. My father will help, I assure you."

Clark shook his head. "I can't ask that of you, Lex; it's too much to ask of any friend, even one as close as you. To impose on your father's generosity …."

"My father can afford it," Lex assured. "He bought me a TVR Tasmin convertible for my birthday last year, Clark. It probably costs more than what your parents owe on the farm."

That made Clark laugh for some reason. Lex laughed too.

"It's crazy," Clark noted. "A car costing more than acres of land."

"Well, I may be exaggerating on that count, but make no mistake, my father can easily afford it. I'll talk to him tonight."

"You're the best friend a guy can have, Lex. I don't know what to say apart from thank you, but that seems far too insufficient."

"You're going to change the world, Clark. Consider it an investment."

-S-

Chloe answered the door, and found a tall, athletic woman with long auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail standing on her doorstep. The woman wore a Metropolis baseball cap and had a large Nikon camera around her neck.

"Lois!"

"In the flesh. You and I need to talk about this super boy."

Chloe nodded and let her cousin inside. Her parents were out for the afternoon, so she could speak freely. She led Lois into the kitchen, where the rookie reporter pulled out a chair and sat.

"Coffee—lots of cream and sugar."

Chloe found the demand a bit jarring, but Lois was from the big city on the east coast, and manners there did not pass muster in the south. Still, Chloe began brewing the coffee.

"I wasn't expecting …."

"Of course not," Lois declared. "But you should have. You send me a story, and I'm on it. And since you're my source, you should have expected that I'd want to interview you."

Chloe sat down and sighed heavily. "I can't stress this enough, Lois, but you need to protect him."

"He's your friend and he's cute, and you want him to take you to the prom, marry you, settle down, and make babies together—I get it."

"It's not like that at all," Chloe protested. "He's a good person, Lois, and just to be clear, he's just a friend. I'm only doing this because of the Gazette story. I promised I wouldn't tell another soul, but now …."

"Now, you need me to do damage control," Lois finished. "I'll do the best I can, but since you know him, I need you to do something for me first. I need to meet him."

"Lois, if I bring you to him, he'll be livid …."

"Then don't tell him why I'm here," Lois countered. "Introduce your "just a friend" to meet your favorite cousin. He have a girlfriend?"

"Not exactly …."

"You said he's cute," Lois reminded her. "Set us up on a date—I'm sure I can put up with the hayseed for an afternoon."

Chloe winced at the remark. Calling Clark a hayseed was uncalled for, and Chloe was regretting telling Lois Lane anything. Lana still liked Clark, but he was adamant that Lana was just a friend. The coffee was ready, so Chloe poured Lois her cup and then called Clark, hoping that Lois would not make her regret it.

-S-

Clark stepped out of the shower, toweled himself dry, and stepped in front of the mirror to shave. He had taken to using a sharp piece of his Kryptonian rocket for shaving and was finished in moments. He looked in the mirror at his now freshly shaven face. Satisfied with his reflection, he was about to splash cologne on his face when he heard an ear shattering scream. In less than a nanosecond, he located the source. He could get to her in time – if he hurried.

Clark threw on his Smallville sweatshirt and a pair of sweat pants and sneakers and was out the window in less than a tenth of a second, flying faster than he had ever flown.

-S-

Lois interviewed as many people as she could, trying to get the man – or woman – on the street's thoughts about this super boy. It was getting toward evening and she was hungry. Chloe had gotten the Kent's answering machine, so Lois had to wait on an evening with Clark Kent. As she drove her car across the Pottawatome Creek Bridge, her left front tire blew out and her car swerved sharply into the path of an oncoming tractor trailer. The driver blared the horn and Lois screamed. There was nothing she could do, and was certain this was it. Suddenly, her car was airborne. There had been no impact – of that she was certain.

The car flew over the bridge and landed in the shoulder on the other side. Lois felt the back tires touch down. As the front of the car was lowered to its front wheels, she saw him. The super boy set the front end of her car down as gently as Lois might set down a loaf of bread. Their eyes met briefly, and she swore something passed between them. The sound of police sirens caught her attention, and Superboy looked in their direction briefly before launching himself into the air and flying away. Lois had the presence of mind to snap a picture as soon as he looked like he was about to take off, and hoped that the shot would do justice to her story. She sat in her seat as the squad cars pulled up, shaking like she never had before. There was a superhuman being in Smallville, Kansas, and he had just saved her life and her career.


	10. Chapter 10 Smallville

"You okay, Lois?"

Lois nodded vigorously. "He's real! He's real! Superboy is real!"

Chloe poured Lois a hot cocoa, making an executive decision that caffeine was the last thing her cousin needed right now. "Of course, he's real, Lois. I didn't send you those pictures just to perpetrate some kind of fantastic hoax."

"I know … but I kept trying to puzzle out logical explanations. Even as the evidence mounted, I still believed on some level that there was a logical explanation. But to see him …." Lois shook her head. "Chloe, he lifted my car! I was flying … in my car! Chloe, he broke the sound barrier! The whole car rocked from the shockwave! And those eyes – I've never seen anyone's eyes so … blue!"

Clark must have broken the sound barrier mere inches from the ground. Chloe knew he could hit supersonic speeds, but to be able to do so instantly … Chloe shook her head in disbelief. She knew he was stronger than mortal men—she had seen him on the football field—but lifting cars and planes and going from zero to Mach 5 in a fraction of a second was bordering on godlike. It made her wonder if the old myths were in fact true. Perhaps others like Clark had visited Earth millennia ago.

The phone rang, and Chloe picked up saying, "Hello?"

" _I got your message, Chloe_." It was Clark.

"My cousin's in town and wants to meet you. She's a reporter for the Daily Planet, and heard my friend is an aspiring journalist."

He was silent for a long moment, and Chloe wondered if Clark knew why Lois was really in town, and if so, did he know Chloe's part in bringing her reporter cousin in from the big city.

" _I think I already met her_ ," Clark replied. " _I saved a woman from a head-on collision. Her car had Delaware tags, and she wore a Metropolis ball cap and had a Nikon. The cops were coming, so I just took off, but I think she got a picture. Chloe, this is all a mess! Too many people are finding out, and I'm afraid …._ "

"It's alright, Clark." Chloe had never heard him sound so vulnerable. "Maybe she can help. You're my friend, and … she owes me." Chloe shot a backward glance at Lois when she said that last part. "She can protect you, Clark. Anyway, she really does want to meet you." Then she looked at Lois again and added, "She keeps going on about your blue eyes."

"Chloe!"

She ignored Lois's protest and added, "She said she got lost in them. Anyway, we can be at the DQ in twenty minutes."

" _I'll be there_." Clark hung up without waiting for Chloe to say good bye.

"Alright, Lois, I got you your meeting. Let's go …."

"Not "we." Me." Lois stood. "I know where the DQ is – I'll take it from here. Thanks, Chloe; you're a lifesaver."

"I should be there, Lois – he's my friend."

"Precisely why you shouldn't be there. Now, I know you're sophisticated for a small-town girl, but you're still just a small-town girl. I'm a woman from the big city. Believe me, I got this."

Chloe glared at Lois, crossing her arms. "If you hurt him, Lois, I swear, I will never forgive you."

Lois grinned smugly. "Then I guess … I won't hurt him." With that, she sauntered out the door.

-S-

Pa Kent shook his head. "We can't accept that kind of a gift, Martha."

"But Jonathan …."

"No buts, Martha," he insisted. Clark had gone to meet Chloe's cousin at Dairy Queen, leaving Martha and himself alone in the kitchen to discuss the fate of their farm. "Lex is a nice enough kid, and Lionel is … more likable than I thought he'd be, but … I can't go borrowing money from him. I'd never be able to pay it back, and to take it as a gift would be wrong."

Martha put her hands on her hips. "We're gonna lose our home! Clark won't have no place to live, Jonathan. Wouldn't that be wrong?"

"We'll find a way …."

"We did, Jonathan. And you're throwin' it away."

"Martha, Lionel Luthor seems like a nice man, and socially, he is." Jonathan stood and went to the coffee pot, pouring the remaining liquid into his mug. "But there's something there, something beneath the surface. Everyone sees it. They may not know what it is, but they know it's there. People have accepted "gifts" from Lionel Luthor in the past, and they've found that those gifts have a way of costing them down the road. Lana's father say's he wished he'd never gone to work for Luthor Corp, and that was before Lana's behavior."

"So, what do we do?"

"We thank him for his generosity but tell him it wouldn't be right to take his money."

"Lex may not have even talked to him yet …."

"Mark my words, Martha, Lex Luthor has probably already written up the terms of the gift and told his father why this is a good angle for their company."

"Jonathan, we can't lose this farm. My mother will do everything she can to split us apart and losing our home will be just the in she's looking for. She already smells blood, and she's circling, waiting for the right moment to pounce. Please, Jonathan—I would rather be beholden to the Luthors."

Jonathan had no response. He knew what Mrs. Clark was like. The woman was insidious, and they had watched her tear apart Martha's Aunt Betty's happy marriage when Uncle Zachariah's fortunes waned. He and Martha loved each other dearly, but Jonathan was no fool. Martha's mother could twist and taint anything she touched, and if she put her mind to it, Mrs. Clark could make them miserable. Somehow, he had to find an answer. If he could not, then they would have to accept help from the Luthors.

-S-

Clark saw the 1979 Pontiac Sunbird hatchback at the DQ as he drove up in his father's old Ford truck. Lois Lane, rookie reporter for the greatest newspaper in the world, was here. She could be the connection he would need when he graduated college—or she could ruin his life.

"Guess there's only one way to find out," he said aloud.

Clark Kent walked inside and found Lois seated in a booth in the corner, two milkshakes and hot fudge sundaes on the table. Clearly, she did not want to waste time while he ordered. Unlike the day before when she was driving, Lois wore a plum business suit with a white blouse. Lois' hair was down, her auburn tresses falling gracefully past her shoulders. Green irises that flashed like emaralds looked out from large almond shaped eyes. _She's beautiful_ , he thought. At the same time, she had an almost tomboyish quality to her that made him like her all the more.

"Miss Lane," he said cordially as he took his seat across from her in the booth, trying not to gawk.

"Clark Kent—or should I say …."

"Not here."

Lois smiled smugly. "Of course, Clark. You know why I'm here, don't you?"

He nodded. "Our … meeting yesterday."

She leaned forward, her elbows on the table. "Let's not beat around the bush, Clark. I know who you are and what you can do. I also know you have aspirations to be a journalist. I need a story—your story—if I want to be a reporter at the Planet for much longer. Help me get that story, and I can make sure the Planet's managing editor has your name."

"You'd do that for me?" Clark was both elated and wary.

"If you'd do this for me, sure, I'd do that for you." Lois smiled at him, her expression softening. "I really didn't know what to expect from you, Clark Kent. You carry yourself well, and Chloe calling you cute … well, cute is an understatement. I'm rather surprised the two of you aren't an item."

Clark shrugged. "I don't really like her in that way."

"Lana you're girl, hmm?"

"It's complicated, but … no. I thought she would be, but not now."

Lois raised her left eyebrow at this. "She turn you down?"

"No; I just don't think it would be a relationship of equals."

Lois chuckled at this. "Well, Smallville, I can't fault you there. You and Chloe don't exactly fit in with everyone else here. Tell you the truth, I kind of felt like my IQ was being drained when I talked to anyone else in this town."

"Lex Luthor is pretty smart, and he …."

Lois's face went pale at the mention of Lex Luthor, and then a look of anger washed over her face. "Chloe says he's your friend. I don't know him, but I know about his father and Luthor Corp's business dealings. I hear Lex offered to have his father bail out your farm. Don't let your parents take the money, Clark."

He simply nodded. Though he was curious as to what kind of information she had, there was no way he was going to get into a conversation about Lionel Luthor's potentially shady business dealings in public. Besides, the story Lois was after had nothing to do with the Luthors.

"Miss Lane …."

"Call me Lois."

"Lois … you want my story. Meet me at home this evening. I know a place we can talk without the potential for prying eyes."

"Your folks gonna be home?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I may want to interview them too."

Clark did not like the sound of that, but he simply nodded again. No need to argue about in public. "Meet me tonight and we'll see."

"Yes, we will, Clark Kent."

He began eating the sundae, and Lois leaned back in her seat. She examined him carefully, but though Clark was seemingly intent on his food, he watched her even more closely, examining her with his visual powers. She had a hidden microphone in her lapel and a running tape recorder in her purse.

"Tell me about the Planet." If Lois wanted to record a conversation, Clark intended to steer that conversation away from anything to do with the Smallville Superboy. To his surprise, Lois sighed and seemed to deflate.

"It's overwhelming, Clark. It's dog eat dog, and being a young woman in a man's world isn't easy. Don't get me wrong; I'm up to the challenge, but it's not what I expected." She looked out the window toward her car. "You've seen the car I drive; it's a good indicator of the money I'm making right now, so don't get your hopes up if you're looking to strike it rich."

Clark laughed. "I'm not motivated by money, thank Heaven. All I need is enough to take care of the bare essentials. I can help people through my writing. At least I hope I can—I may not have the knack for it, but I don't plan on giving up."

Lois finished her sundae. "Then you just overcame your first hurdle."

-S-

Doctor Lang stood as Lionel Luthor entered his lab. Normally, he would be nervous, but not today. Not only had Lana informed him that she and Lex had become friends of a sort, but Doctor Lang had made the breakthrough that Lionel Luthor had been searching for.

"What have you got, Doctor Lang?"

"I call it the Brainiac Code. It brings together everything we've been trying to do, and makes it work synergistically. I was able to adapt it from that mystery code you brought me, and the results are … out of this world."

"Let's see what you've got, Lang." Lionel Luthor's eyes lit up, and his voice actually sounded excited.

Lang activated the experimental computer, and the three lights on the panel lit up like an inverted triangle. Lines connecting each of the three lights were illuminated, and the system was now active.

Luthor looked at the screen as the code flashed across it. The Luthor Corp CEO's eyes lit up at what he saw. He turned to Doctor Lang and grinned. "This changes everything!"


	11. Chapter 11 Smallville

Clark sat in the pit beneath the barn once again, pondering the mysteries of the arc that had carried him to Earth. He could read the markings now. The vessel required no pilot and had no interface for one. It was a drone, preprogrammed to carry an infant Kal El from the dying planet Krypton.

He looked through the things that were in the vessel. There was a five-foot-long red cloth. Ma had said that he was wrapped in it when they found him. She imagined that it was a Kryptonian baby blanket, but he suspected that the sturdy material served to do far more than just retain warmth. He looked at it with his visual powers, and realized that he could not see through it. Apart from lead, it was the only substance he had ever encountered that defied his penetrative vision – X-Ray vision as his parents called it.

Emblazoned about a foot below what he assumed was the top end of the rectangular cloth was the glyph of the Kryptonian house of El—his house. To the casual observer, it would look like a stylized "S", but it was really a series of lines that wound their way across a field shaped something like a baseball home plate. He analyzed the molecular structure of the material and found that it had the tensile strength of titanium, but the elasticity of spandex, all while having the texture of silk.

On the back portion of the craft's seat, a seat that had carried him on an interstellar voyage, was a hand print, seemingly stitched into the fabric and made up of tiny spheres. The print matched the size and shape of Clark's right hand. _Not Clark's_ , he thought; _Kal El's_. He placed his hand on the print and the seat opened to reveal a compartment wherein he found a cylindrical container bearing the same glyph upon it that the cloth bore.

Removing it from the craft and examining it, he found that it too had a hand print identical to that on the seat. He placed his palm onto the print and the container opened, revealing a collection of crystals and a twelve-inch square container that resembled clear plastic. Inside was some kind of blue material. On the top of the container was yet another handprint. He opened it in the same manner and removed from it a blue and red unitard made of what appeared to be a heavier version of the red material that was in the seat. On the chest was the same glyph, only this time, it was a deep red on a yellow field.

The suit—for that was definitely what it was—had a texture that reminded him of a lizard's skin. The upper portion was blue and the lower portion red and blue, but the torso area ended in a V-shaped point that terminated at his navel. A yellow band encircled the waist like a belt but ended just before the border between the red and the blue. At the crook of the blue V, where a belt buckle would have been, was another yellow glyph, similar to the one on the red cloth.

The legs of the garment were red down to the knees, at which point the red ended in an angled border just above his knees, where the fabric turned to blue. A pair of red boots that felt more like socks with a tacky tread on the soles were built into the garment, but these had a texture more like vinyl.

The cylindrical container also held a crystalline orb of a mineral like jade, roughly a foot in diameter, which likewise had a handprint. Placing his hand into the indentation, the sphere came to life, and energy coursed through his body.

Kal El closed his eyes, finding the energy warm and reassuring. When he opened his eyes once again, he found himself standing across from his Kryptonian mother, Lara Lor Von, in a place that was not the undercroft of the barn in Kansas.

Lara wore a similar suit to his own, one that emphasized her feminine curves. Hanging from her shoulders was a red cape, and he realized that it was the same as the red cloth he had found in the spacecraft.

"My son," she said warmly in Kryptonian. "I have much to teach you, and little time in which to do it. Let us begin with all haste."

"Mother …."

"Jor El, your father, was Krypton's preeminent scientist. It was he who toiled to prepare the starship that saved you from Krypton's destruction. I was once what humans refer to as an astronaut, but after the space program was canceled, I focused on my military career."

"You were a soldier?"

"At the time this program was constructed, I was the highest-ranking exponent of Klurkor."

Kal shook his head. "What is … Klur-kor?"

She smiled at him and bowed, placing her right fist into her left palm in a manner similar to what he had seen in chop-socky martial arts films. "What I am about to teach you."

-S-

Lionel Luthor pondered his children's request. Saving the Kent farm netted him nothing, and Lionel Luthor was not accustomed to gifting anything to anyone except his children, and even then, he considered his "gifts" to be investments in the kind of people he hoped they would grow to become.

What could the Kents give him? Jonathan and Martha Kent could never afford to pay him back, and apart from forcing Clark to work for Luthor Corp, the only thing he gained was making his children happy. Lex may have had an angle – he always did – but this time, Lionel thought not. Lex Luthor had gone through school with what amounted to practiced professional relationships with other children. Clark Kent, however, was a true friend, and helping the Kents meant helping a friend with no strings attached.

Lena never had an angle. She was brilliant, and had good business sense, but she was still pure hearted. She was never good at making friends, but for whatever reason, she had emotionally latched on to Clark, Pete, Chloe, and Lana. Doing this was bad business, but his kids were still his kids, and when everything else was stripped away, he loved them.

"I will contact the bank and see what their situation is," Lionel finally announced.

Before he could say anymore, Lena hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Daddy!"

Lex, however, grinned. "You won't regret it; Clark Kent is going to change the world."

Perhaps Lex had an angle after all.

-S-

Lois returned to her motel and replayed the conversation she had with Clark. She remembered his eyes. It was all she could do not to lose herself staring into Clark's eyes. The tall burley young man was pushing all of Lois's hot buttons. He was down to earth, but not a hayseed. He was tall and muscular with leading man looks, but he was reserved and lacked the arrogance with which jocks usually carried themselves. Kent was confident, no question, but his was a casual confidence.

Then there was his power. He wore it so lightly. If the stories were true, and clearly, they were, then Clark Kent could do almost anything. There was arrogance, and then there was aloofness, something highly educated or very wealthy people often displayed. Such people were so far removed from the man – or woman – on the street that they viewed themselves as somehow above. Clark did not have that quality either.

His smooth midwestern voice caressed Lois Lane's ears, making her smile. He sounded like a young Peter Jennings.

"I'd actually watch TV news if he were an anchor," she mused aloud. "Too bad he's underage."

-S-

While Clark was in the barn, the Kryptonian device prevented him from having any awareness of the world round him, including Lionel Luthor's arrival at the Kent home.

Ma Kent answered the door, and when she saw the elder Luthor grinning, her husband's ominous words about him came to mind. It was as though Lionel Luthor was the cat that had the canary. But who was the canary?

"Lionel … won't you come in?"

"Of course, Martha." The tall businessman walked elegantly into the farmhouse as Jonathan appeared from the kitchen.

"Lionel? What brings you all the way out here?"

Luthor just smiled again. "My children told me about Mrs. Clark's behavior, so … I made a few calls." He looked at Martha. "It seems that your mother has been more than just a passive observer, hoping the farm would fail on its own. She has pulled a few strings to keep your interest rates high, and to thwart some of your husband's attempts to make the farm profitable."

Martha's mouth dropped open. Jonathan sighed. He had suspected that this was the case, but Martha had refused to believe it.

"I knew it," Jonathan said shaking his head.

"I … I knew she wanted us to fail, but this?" Tears filled Martha's eyes and her voice was trembling. How could her mother set out to sabotage their family like that? It was just … evil.

"My children have asked me to intercede," Lionel informed. "I am a businessman, and I don't invest in agriculture. Clark coming to work for me is the only thing you have that I could possibly gain, but he intends to pursue journalism." Luthor was silent for a moment, allowing the words to sink in. "I do, however, invest in my children. I love them, and of all the kids they've gone to school with, yours is the only family that has opened its doors to them. Your son came to Lex's aid when nobody else would."

He looked at Jonathan and said, "I know you don't want to take money from me, and I respect that—too many people have a sense of entitlement these days, but you're an honest man who works hard, and I like that."

Then he looked at Martha. "Your mother is cut from the same cloth as those who have made my children's school days miserable, so I made a few phone calls myself. You'll find that your creditors are willing to renegotiate your interest rates, and some of your buyers that backed out at the last minute are open to buying produce from you once again. So, instead of bailing you out, I've leveled the field for you. This should allow you to keep your farm, and who knows? You may even be able to start turning a tidy profit. Consider it my thanks for your family doing the same for my children."

"I don't rightly know what to say," Jonathan replied. "Thank you seems too little. You're a good man, Lionel."

Luthor shook Jonathan's hand. "I'm a terrible man, Jonathan. I'm the man people dread sitting across the table from in the boardroom, and as a businessman, I am ruthless. I have certainly earned at least some of the things people say about me." Then he chuckled and added, "Though I swear that I have no horns, long red tail, or a pitchfork, and there are no sixes in my address or phone number."

Martha Kent hugged Lionel Luthor. "You're a saint, far as I'm concerned."

A man whom many thought of as the devil incarnate had managed to save the Kent farm without costing Jonathan and Martha their very souls.

-S-

Klurkor turned out to be a Kryptonian martial art. Though he was certain that the entire experience was contained within his mind, it felt as real as if his mother's fists were actually striking him. He had seemingly no powers apart from being an athletic specimen, while Lara Lor Von was a highly trained and experienced martial artist.

Kal El was a quick study, however, and he took in his Kryptonian mother's lessons, his mind able to learn in hours an art that had taken Lara a lifetime to master. He suspected that the program was designed to impart the knowledge to him quickly, taking advantage of his Kryptonian mind and enhanced powers on Earth.

Finally, he executed the last of the techniques she taught him, and in doing so, defeated her. The image of his mother smiled.

"You have learned all that I know, my son. I have sent a uniform in your ship—your father assures me that you will grow to the exact size and measurements that it was meant to fit. Wear it with pride, my son, and always carry the banner of the House of El."

"Mother … I love you."

The image smiled. "I love you too, Kal El. This is all that I have had the opportunity to impart to you. May Rao guide you and bless you. Fare well, my son."

Kal El awoke with a start. He had been in some kind of trance as he held the sphere, and now that he was awake, he had no idea what time it was. He carefully refolded the garment and the cape and placed them into the cylindrical container. Then he placed the sphere with them and closed the lid.

Clark Kent returned to his room, carrying the container, there to ponder what it meant to be Kal El of Krypton.

-S-

Lois arrived at the Kent farm promptly at seven. Punctuality had never been her strong point, but as a cub reporter already skating on thin ice, she could not afford to blow this story. She had enough to essentially prove that the Smallville Superboy was real, but she needed more. This had to be a real story, not just a credible version of something one might read in the Globe.

The door opened before she could knock, and Clark Kent stood on the other side, looming over her.

"Good evening, Lois." He stepped through the door, joining her outside, rather than inviting her into the house. The front porch had one of those wooden swings that Lois had only seen in movies and on television. Clark motioned to it and then held it in place for her to sit upon. Once Lois was seated, her feet dangling above the porch's wooden floor, Clark took his place at her side.

Lois could feel the chains and wood of the swing strain as Clark lowered his near six-foot four-inch frame onto it. She estimated that he weighed something in the neighborhood of two hundred and thirty pounds. He was easily as large as the Metropolis Meteors' quarterback, possibly larger. Unlike the Meteors' Jake Lars, however, Clark could probably throw a Jeep over a mile with perfect aim. His powers were overwhelming, and Lois had only had a sample of them. And in such close proximity to him … _Can't allow him to throw off my objectivity_.

"I was hoping to meet your family," she griped.

"And when I decide that's a good idea, you will."

She folded her arms and pouted for a moment, but then forced a smile. "I can understand that." Lois noticed how effortlessly he controlled the conversation, but there was no sense complaining about it—Clark Kent was not some corrupt politician or crime boss. He was just a high school kid with powers that he likely did not understand. Lois had gotten this far—no need to blow it now by being too aggressive.

Clark nodded. "We can talk here—I've made certain of that."

It was her turn to nod, wondering just how he had made certain that there were no prying eyes.

"Well then, Clark …" Lois turned in the swing to face him. "You've demonstrated powers and abilities only seen on Saturday morning cartoons or in the comics. On top of that, Chloe tells me you're like Copernicus in math class, Marcus Aurelius in history, and Johnny Unitas on the football field. What's your secret—radioactive spider bite? Cosmic rays? Overdose of gamma radiation? Or some kind of mutant?"

"Lois, have you ever read John Carter of Mars?"

"I've never heard of John Carter of Mars. Why?"

Clark sighed. "Lois, I'm not a mutant and I was not bitten by a radioactive spider or exposed to any kind of radiation." He paused, looking out at the rising moon. "I can fly there, you know."

"Bang, zoom, to the moon?"

This made Clark laugh. "You can quote the Honeymooners, which went off the air before you were born, but you don't know about John Carter of Mars?"

She shrugged. "What can I say? One's in reruns and the other's a book I've never read."

"You do realize that "bang, zoom, to the moon" was a euphemism for beating his wife up, don't you?"

Lois deflated at this. She had always enjoyed watching the show with her father. It was one of those happy memories she had of him before their relationship had soured.

"Did you really have to bring that up?"

"If you had a space suit, I really could take you there—and without any physical violence."

This got her attention. At first, she thought he had been kidding, but clearly, Clark was serious. "What about you, Clark? Wouldn't you need a space suit?"

"No."

"So just what can you do? I'm here to interview the Smallville Superboy, and the things that make you "super" are your powers, but just what are they?"

"Lois, my story is about far more than super powers." Clark had a grave look on his face that made him look older than his seventeen years. "I would like to tell it to you, but … I don't know if you're ready."

She folded her arms and shot him a perturbed glance. "I'm a reporter, Clark; I'm ready for anything."

"No, you're not. The fact that you think you are tells me that you are not."

Flustered by his response, Lois began sputtering. "How can you say that? You don't know me!"

"No, but I've known plenty of people who think their meager experiences prepare them for things so far outside the scope of what they know that they could not possibly be prepared." He frowned. "It was a mistake inviting you here." Clark abruptly stood.

Lois wanted to stand with him, but her feet did not reach the ground. She had to stop him from walking away.

"No, no, no, Clark Kent!" She tried to sound firm, but kicking her feet in the air as she tried to stand with him made her feel ridiculous, and all she ended up doing was pouting at him as her face reddened in embarrassment. Clark laughed, which only made her feel more embarrassed.

"You're cute when you're upset."

Lois' mouth dropped open in an expression of shock and indignation. How could he reduce her to such a state—and with such ease.

"I … am not cute!"

He laughed a hearty, deep laugh, visibly amused. "I'm sorry, Lois. I should be more polite." With that, he offered his hand.

Lois hesitated at first, still upset, but finally took his hand. Clark helped her from the swing. His apology and kind manner put her at ease, and her anger subsided. Quick tempered—that was what her sister, Lucy had called her. Maybe she was. Maybe Lois got that trait from her father, just like her mother and Lucy said she did. Maybe that was why Lois and her father did nothing but argue; they were just two quick tempered stubborn people, and however much Lois loved him, she was never able to reach him. Maybe it was why she had so much trouble with people in general.

Unlike most people on the receiving end of Lois' rising ire, Clark did not respond in kind, or dismiss her like an angry child.

"You already know what I can do, Lois. Chloe says that I can trust you, which is the only reason you're here right now—that, and I happen to like you."

Lois noticed his cheeks redden slightly when he said that last part, and she realized that perhaps she had more leverage than she had previously thought. She decided to test her theory.

"You know, Clark, I wasn't kidding when I said I'd talk to Perry. You and I could end up working together, you know." She intentionally stumbled forward as she stood from the swing, forcing him to catch her. His arms were strong, but his touch was gentle. Lois' experiment, however, yielded the result she hoped for.

Clark's cheeks reddened as he held her, and she smiled up at him. "Thanks, Smallville. A gal could get used to having you around." Then she batted her eyelashes as at him. "You say you like me. Mind showing me what you showed Lana?"

Though he was visibly affected, he did not give in. "Far too risky, Lois. I shouldn't have shown Lana what I could do—that's how Chloe got involved. When I saved the plane, Lena Luthor saw me, so now, she and Lex know."

This got Lois' attention, and not in a good way. "I keep forgetting you're friends with … the Luthors."

"Yes, and you don't like them, I know."

"Nothing personal," Lois clarified. "I know enough about the Luthors to know that you shouldn't trust them. Your parents didn't take the money from them, did they?"

"No; Doctor Luthor did some digging and found that my Grandmother Clark had persuaded the banks to keep our rates high and some of the local markets and stores not to buy our produce. Lex's dad leveled the playing field, so to speak, so we did not have to accept any money."

Lois breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Make sure you never do."

-S-

Perry White looked at Lois' story. Normally, he would dismiss that kind of story, but her sources were solid and everything checked out. She had photos, quotable sources, and solid theory. She never confirmed the existence of the Smallville Superboy; only that he was a phenomenon that gripped the imaginations of a small town in Kansas. Perry smiled as he read it. Lois had proved herself, just as he knew she would. Her job was never in jeopardy, but the fact that she thought it was forced her to be the reporter he knew she could be. He was certain that Lois knew more than she had written, but that was how it should be—always hold something back and force the readers to do some thinking on their own. As for the Smallville Superboy, Perry was certain that they had not heard the last of him.


	12. Chapter 12 Smallville

"Touchdown! The Smallville Crows have won the championship! Clark Kent has carried the Crows to the championship!"

The announcers at the game and all who watched were astounded. It was a miracle season for the Smallville Crows, and with Clark Kent graduating a year early, it was unlikely that the team would repeat such an accomplishment next season.

In the audience, for the first time since his attending Smallville High, was Lex Luthor, who was accompanied by his father and Lena. They sat with the Kents, Chloe, and Pete, cheering for Clark, while Lana cheered with the rest of the cheerleading squad.

As for Clark, he was just glad that it was over. Virtually everyone was expecting him to go pro, and NFL scouts were present at the game, eyeing the amazing young quarterback with the hundred-yard arm. With a local son poised for NFL greatness, almost nobody was talking about the Smallville Superboy, and thus far, Clark had been able to keep his football performance reigned in just enough that nobody made the connection. This was the last anyone would see of the football playing Clark Kent, so he hoped they enjoyed it while it lasted.

With the game over, Clark spent the requisite amount of time celebrating with his teammates and thanking the coaching staff before ducking out to meet his family. To his surprise, Lex Luthor was waiting for him, a huge grin on his face.

"You look like the cat that ate the canary, Lex," Clark said with a chuckle. "What's up?"

"You know this is it, Clark," Lex declared. "You've won the game and proven your physical superiority. We've both proven our mental superiority. Now, we leave this dunghill of a school and all its subhuman denizens behind and go on to change the world!"

Clark was unsurprised by Lex's comments—he knew Lex well enough to know how his friend felt, so the comments did not take Clark by surprise. Still, he found Lex's fervency to be somewhat disquieting.

"Indeed, this is where we go out into the world and try to change it," Clark agreed diplomatically. "The question is, what kind of world are we trying to make?"

"One where intellect is prized above athletics and celebrity, and where people like us can keep those beneath us in their place."

Clark shook his head. "Lex, we have the gifts to lead people to be better than they are. We can inspire, guide, and lead by example. Sure, some will never come around …."

"Then we make them come around." Lex's will was resolute. Clark's ideas were foreign to Lex, even after his friendships with Pete, Lana, Chloe, and Clark.

Clark chuckled, shaking his head again. "You can't 'make' people come around Lex—human nature doesn't work that way. Sure, you can force your will on some, but to affect real change, you have to reach people in large numbers."

Lex suddenly seemed to understand. "Now it makes sense—that's why you want to be a reporter!"

Clark smiled and nodded. "Bingo."

"You can interpret the world for their small minds, Clark! You and I will truly be men among men!"

"Yes." Clark was elated that Lex finally understood why he wanted to go into journalism—at least he thought Lex understood. At least Lex would no longer question Clark's motivations. Clark supposed it would have to be enough, and hoped that through his own example, he could guide Lex down a gentler path. "Come on, Lex; let's meet the gang at the DQ and celebrate!"

Lex pondered for a moment as though he might say no, but then he grinned. "Of course. Lena, father, and I will meet you there."

-S-

"I can't believe you're turning down the NFL, Clark!" Pete shook his head in disbelief. "I mean, you threw another hundred-yard pass, and the scouts were there!"

The Dairy Queen was busy tonight, with many from Smallville high—including many on the team and the cheerleading squad—present. Thankfully, they gave Clark's table a respectful distance, allowing the group of friends to converse without interruption.

"Told you, Pete; I have no interest in being a pro football player," Clark said. "My goal is journalism."

"Lois will be looking forward to you coming to Metropolis," Chloe added. "She can't wait to start working with you."

Lana made a face, but then she snaked her right arm around Clark's left arm and grinned. "But for now, he's with me."

Everyone, including Clark, looked at Lana with puzzlement. Lex, however, waved her remark off.

"Our destiny lies in Metropolis, Clark," the Luthor boy declared. "Not this cornfield." Then he looked at Lena. "Yours too."

"And Lana's not coming to Metropolis," Lena remarked.

"No, she's not," Lana agreed, a miffed expression on her face. "But Clark's still in Smallville."

"Clark's still in the room," Clark reminded them. "Don't talk about me like I'm not here."

Lana ignored his comment, holding tight to his arm and making sure to sit as close to him as possible. Clark thought for sure that she would try to climb into his lap. Thankfully, she did not. He looked over at another group of kids across the room. Brad and his friends were all celebrating, though the former starting quarterback looked very subdued.

"They look pretty glum for being on the winning team," Pete noted.

"Clark put him in his place," Lana boasted. "He knows he ain't nothin' now."

"He has his whole life ahead of him," Clark noted. "People grow up and change."

"People don't change," Lena countered.

"Some people do," Clark insisted.

"Most people don't," Lena said with a smug smile.

"Gotta go with Lena on that one," Chloe agreed. "People don't really change—they just hide who they are until they can't anymore."

Lex looked triumphant, even though the statement had been Lena's. "That's right; you and I, Clark, will always be great—Lena too. Everyone else …." Lex made a sweeping gesture. "Will always be groveling at our feet." Then he looked at the other with mock conciliation. "Sorry guys; just the truth. We'll watch out for you though."

"That's so not what I meant," Lena objected. "I was talking about character, not greatness. I love you, dearly my brother, but you will always be an egomaniac." When Lex folded his arms and pouted, she laughed and added, "It's part of your charm."

"Not sure 'charm' is the word I'd pick," Lana muttered.

"Well, I disagree," Clark declared confidently. "People can change. And with the right inspiration, the right leadership, the right guidance, they often do."

"Numbers to back that up, please," Chloe said.

Clark stood abruptly, taking a surprised Lana to her feet in the process. "You won't need numbers after I get to Metropolis, Chloe. You'll see it firsthand."

"He is so cool, Lex," Lena half said/half gasped as she stared up at the powerful farm boy.

Lana looked up at him with stars in her eyes. She knew she was being transparent but did not care. Clark had transformed before her very eyes. He was no longer a football player or a farm hand with powers. He had transcended his upbringing, and even his very powers themselves to become something much greater. Even Lex stared at him in awe.

In that moment, Lana wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with Clark Kent.

-S-

Clark walked Lana to her door. The gang had talked, laughed, and celebrated at the Dairy Queen, but now, the evening was over, and it was time for all of them to go their separate ways. Lex, Lena, Chloe, and Pete were already on their way home. Only Lana and Clark remained out, now standing on Lana's porch.

"My folks are probably in bed, Clark."

He knew exactly what she was suggesting. "We should be too." He immediately realized his mistake.

Lana's eyes lit up. "Let's sneak into my room and …."

"I meant our own beds," Clark clarified. "Not in bed together, Lana."

She flashed him a sultry grin. "Why not? You think I'm pretty … don't you? An' you said you ain't gay."

"It's not that, Lana—you've already said you know we can't be together. Nothing has changed about me … or about what I am."

"I know. Just … I thought maybe we could celebrate—just you an' me. No Lex, no Pete, and definitely no Chloe or Lena."

"Lana …."

She pressed herself against him, craning her neck, and kissed him. "Com'n, Clark; you know you want to."

Unfortunately, she was right. He found himself enfolding her in his arms and pulling her close. Lana, his once closest friend, had worked her way back into his good graces, and mended their friendship. Now, she was pushing to get as close as two people could be. Clark had no idea of the compatibility of human and Kryptonian physiology. Also, he could not even be certain that human methods of birth control would work if she were to sleep with him. Every fiber of his being wanted to give in to her.

Lana's soft body was pressed against him, and he could feel her accelerated heartbeat. "Come inside, Clark," she whispered. "I promise you won't be sorry." She kissed him and added, "I can tell you want to, Clark—every bit as bad as I do. Don't fight it, Clark. For once, just be a regular guy and give in."

"I'm not a regular guy, Lana. And there's every possibility that I could hurt you if we do this. I couldn't live with myself if I were to injure you while …."

She cut him off with a kiss and said, "Shush, Clark; it'll be alright. Just be real gentle an' I'm sure it'll be just fine. I trust you with my life."

Clark's fine control of his powers was excellent, and in truth, he thought he could probably make love to her without hurting her. He wanted to give in to her, and in truth, was on the verge of doing so. His body was racing, ready to act practically on its own—but Clark did not love Lana. He cared about her, and he loved her as a friend, but he was not in love.

"If you trust me, then trust my judgment, Lana. I don't want to hurt you, and no matter how this end, I fear that's exactly what will happen."

She looked at him with puzzlement for just a moment, as though she were trying to process his words, when the front door opened and Lana's mother stood in the doorway in her bathrobe.

"What are you two doin' outside?"

Clark nodded, thankful for the interruption. "Hello, Mrs. Lang. I was just saying good bye."

"Bye, Clark," Lana said, still flashing him a sultry grin.

"Bye, Lana." He gave his friend a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. It was as physical as he could ever allow himself to get with her. Lana could not seem to decide if she wanted him or not, and Clark had enough on his mind without adding her drama to the mix. "G'night, Mrs. Lang."

Lana's mother nodded. "Good night, Clark."

He did not wait for either woman to speak further. Clark left the Lang property before either could reel him back in and make conversation, though he doubted that Lana's mother wanted to have further conversation. He needed to get home and sort things out. He needed to talk to his parents.

-S-

Ma Kent heard the front door opening and looked up to see Clark walking into the house, a vexed expression on his face.

"Clark, what's wrong?"

"It's Lana; she suddenly wants me again and invited me to her bedroom."

"Clark …."

"I didn't go, Ma; I don't love her, not like that anyway. She's a good friend, and I didn't want to hurt her. Thankfully, her ma came to the door and interrupted her, but the whole thing got me thinking—what if I can't be with a woman? What if … I'd hurt her … or even kill her?"

Martha Kent pondered her son's question for a long moment. She could see it in his eyes that Clark had really wanted to give in to Lana. He was seventeen, and it was only natural that Clark would want her. At his age, Martha had been so head over heels for Jonathan, she would have done almost anything to be intimate with him.

She still recalled her wedding night. Passions were high and inhibitions were low. They finally had been able to cut loose and explore each other, losing control to their passions. Jonathan had thrilled her that night … but Jonathan was only human. Clark could twist a Greyhound bus into a pretzel, and if he lost control with a sexual partner, he could easily kill the poor girl.

"I don't know what to tell you, Clark … except that maybe it's best to let the girl lead—after you're married, of course."

Clark smiled and nodded. "Of course, Ma; after I'm married." He hugged her and then started upstairs. "Thanks, Ma; that really helped."

Martha smiled and nodded as Clark ascended the stairs to his room. It was the first time she felt that her advice to him about his powers had been more insightful to him than whatever those Kryptonian recordings had to say.


	13. Chapter 13 Smallville

The rest of the school year went by like a blur. Lana was never quite the same with Clark after his refusal to sleep with her and seemed to have walled a part of herself off from him. By the end of the year, she was back to dating Brad, though she assured Clark that Brad was treating her right.

Chloe and Pete had become close friends, seeming to spend more time hanging out with each other and with Lana than with Clark. It seemed that his old friends were pulling away from him in anticipation of his departure at the end of the school year. Only Lex remained close, and Clark found himself hanging out more with Lex and Lena than with his childhood friends.

Lex was practically floating on air, reveling in his final year of high school, and rubbing everyone else's noses into the fact that he and Clark were graduating early.

By the time the school year ended, Clark felt like a stranger. He was no longer Clark Kent—not the Clark Kent that everyone knew. When he and Lex graduated with the senior class, the ceremony was a blur for Clark, who just wanted it over with.

At long last, he got his wish. All the speeches were made and all the ceremonies were completed. Clark and Lex stood together waiting for the inevitable crush of family and friends who would soon be rushing to congratulate them. It was a strange moment of solitude in a crowded place.

"M.I.T. is my next stop," Lex declared. "From there, I'll be working full time with my father and Luthor Corp. Lena won't be far behind."

"I have no doubt that you'll do amazing things, Lex. You're intelligent and driven, and the smartest person I know."

Lex nodded. "We make an amazing team, Clark. What about you?"

"I'll be going to Washburn University to major in journalism, and from there, hopefully go to the Daily Planet and work with Lois Lane."

Lex laughed. "I hear she just won a Pulitzer for an article about money in politics. She'll be a good mentor for you … at least until you're outshining her."

Clark shook his head. "At least it wasn't for the Smallville-Superman story."

"Yeah, whatever happened with that anyway?"

"Thankfully," Clark said, "she talked about mass hysteria and how urban legend can quickly be confused for fact. At the same time, she said she thought that there was something beneath the rumors. Not a Pulitzer, but her editor liked it enough that she kept her job apparently."

"I see our parents and Lena coming," Lex noted. "Lana, Pete, and Chloe too. Guess it's time to face our adoring public."

Clark nodded in agreement. "Looks like we're both Metropolis bound."

"We're going to change that city, Clark. Mark my words; when we get there, nothing will ever be the same."

"Nothing is the same now, Lex. Nothing will ever be the same again."

On that note, the Kents embraced their son and Lionel and Lena embraced Lex. Pete, Chloe and Lana ran to congratulate their friends, all basking in the moment. Clark shook Pete's hand and hugged Chloe, Lana, and Lena. He would miss them all, but at the same time, he could not wait to leave Smallville. Everyone talked about the graduates spreading their wings and flying. Only Clark Kent would truly do that. And once he did, the world would be forever changed.


	14. Chapter 14 Metropolis

**Metropolis 1989**

Lois Lane leaned back in her chair and sighed, protruding her lower lip so that her exhalation blew her auburn bangs upward. It had been six years since her article on the Smallville Superboy saved her job. Lois had tried to keep in contact with Clark Kent, but with the passage of time, the two had dropped out of touch.

Now, Lois was the Planet's star reporter, with a brace of Pulitzers to her name. Lois was the most driven reporter in Metropolis, and she wouldn't trade it for the world … but sometimes, she felt like her life took on a life of its own, leaving Lois feeling overwhelmed once in a while. Whenever she felt like this, her mind went back to the Smallville Superboy, whisking her car from in front of an oncoming truck. She held tightly to the memory of gravity suddenly loosing its grip in the wake of Clark Kent's otherworldly power.

Today, she felt exceptionally overwhelmed. With the newly elected President George H.W. Bush having to contend with a massive deficit left over from the Reagan administration, the veneer of eighties prosperity was beginning to crumble. The economy was already in peril in the aftermath of Reaganomics, and homelessness had become a national issue. On top of that, Metropolis politics were particularly dicey, and the crime rate was spiraling out of control. Gotham and Metropolis were topping the nation's crime rate, with both cities vying for the title of "Murder Capital of the World."

Between the economy, corrupt city politics, escalating homelessness, and crime at epidemic levels, Lois' life was felt like a never-ending battle. It would take a miracle to save the city, it seemed, and good news was getting harder and harder to come by. With all that was going on, that day in Smallville seemed a lifetime ago … and her August seventeenth birthday seemed a lifetime away.

"Whatever happened to you, Clark Kent?" She shook her head as she looked at the recent FBI statistics the chief had deposited on her desk. Between the escalating crime rate and the inordinate number of people gunning for her – she received death threats on a regular basis – Lois was not even certain she would make it to her August 17th birthday. "At this rate, I don't even think we'll make it to August—guess I really will be forever twenty-nine."

"Lois, it's not that bad."

She looked up and saw the red-haired photographer, Jimmy Olsen.

"Yes, Jimmy, it is. It's hell in a handbasket. On top of that, it seems that Lionel Luthor just bought the rest of the city council, so you know what that means?" Before Jimmy could respond, she gave him the answer. "Luthor-Corp gets to clear out all those buildings right around the corner and basically take the whole place for himself. Some of those are apartments, Jimmy. People will lose their homes because of that … monster."

"But they'll get fair market value for them," Jimmy protested.

"Apartments, Jimmy – they won't get anything for their homes; just the landlords. The residents will just get eviction notices."

"Well, at least the criminal element will be gone." Jimmy's words echoed Lionel's contention that his "revitalizing" would help bring down the crime rate.

Lois looked at him with disgust. "Don't tell me you're dinking the Luthor Kool-aid, Jimmy!"

"Lois, the Luthors are pillars of Metropolis society."

"This is why you're a photographer and not a reporter."

"Photojournalist," Jimmy protested crossly.

"Till you get your head out of Lionel Luthor's ass, you don't get to call yourself a 'journalist' around me, kid. Now …."

"Lane!" Perry's powerful voice reverberated through the newsroom. "Get in here, now!"

"Looks like someone's in trouble," Jimmy chided.

"Probably you, Jimmy," Lois shot back before calling out, "On my way, Chief!"

Jimmy frowned as the "chief" closed his door to wait for Lois. "How come he never tells you not to call him that?"

"Because my head and face aren't covered in Lionel Luthor's bullshit, that's why."

Lois left her desk before Jimmy could respond and made her way into Perry's office. It never ceased to amaze her that anyone who called themselves a journalist could be so enamored with the Luthors, and hearing Jimmy sing their praises just made her livid.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, Perry whirled in his chair to face her. "I need you on this pronto, Lane—Lionel Luthor is dead. His son, Lex, is poised to inherit the Luthor empire."

Lois' mouth dropped open. A thousand thoughts ran through her head, but rather than voice them, she simply asked, "What happened?"

"Massive heart attack it looks like—no official cause of death has been released, but it happened at a restaurant during a board meeting. I need you on it, Lane."

"You think it's foul play?"

"No, but I do think the ascendance of Lex Luthor is major news."

Lex Luthor had already made quite a reputation for himself. He was a brilliant engineer, set to graduate with top honors from M.I.T. in May. His work in robotics and the nascent field of artificial intelligence was cutting edge and had already benefited Luthor Corp. He was also a raging egomaniac. Lois had only met him once, and he was one of the few people who frightened her. He reminded her of what Adolph Hitler would have been if the Nazi fuhrer had been a scientist instead of a politician.

Lex had made numerous public statements about the state of humanity, and about how those with intellect should be the masters of those without, statements his late father did little to refute or deflect. The young man's obvious intellect dwarfed most everyone around him, and as Lionel Luthor's heir, Lex would couple his intellect with the most powerful tech giant in the world. Lionel already had laid the groundwork for his son.

"This could be …."

"The worst thing to happen to this city in years."

"That's an understatement, Chief."

"Get your ass to Luthor Corp now—Lex is there."

"On my way, Chief!"


	15. Chapter 15 - Metropolis

Clark Kent had just walked into his rented room in Metropolis. The small townhome was owned by an elderly couple, Eben and Sarah Fadden, who had rented out their grandson's old room after the boy had gone into the army. The room had its own phone line and even a line for a modem/fax machine—apparently Tom Fadden had been a techie before enlisting. This suited Clark just fine, and he intended to make full use of the accommodation.

No sooner had he plugged in his phone when it rang. He expected it to be Eben or Sarah testing the line, but instead, it was a voice from his past.

"Clark, thank God you answered!" It was Lena Luthor. "Lex asked me to find you—he needs you."

"Lena … are you alright? You sound like you've been crying."

"It's not public knowledge, Clark, but father—he's gone." Lena broke down into sobs.

Clark could hardly believe it. "Lena, I'm so sorry. Of course, I'll be there. Where is Lex?"

"He's at Luthor Corp—we both are. He's arguing in the lobby with security—the board is trying to keep him out, but—Clark, you're the only friend we have. Just seeing you will help him."

"I'm on my way, Lena."

"Thank you, Clark. I knew we could count on you."

Clark hung up the phone, his emotions whirling. Could he have saved Lionel if he had been there? What was going through Lex's mind? How could Clark help his best friend? At the same time, he wondered if the death of a family friend would impact his scheduled interview with Perry White at the Daily Planet tomorrow. That brought him to thoughts of Lois Lane. Would she even remember him? And would she remember her promise to help him out when he arrived?

He immediately picked up the phone again and called his parents to let them know the sad news.

-S-

Lex Luthor was the heir to Luthor Corp—unless the board found a way to force him out. Lex was not naïve; he knew they could do it. It happened to Bruce Wayne over in Gotham when he had returned from Japan, and Wayne was still trying to get control of the company back form the board. Lex could not allow them to dig their claws into the company the way WayneTech's board had done. The situation seemed hopeless as the Luthor Corp security escorted him from the building.

As soon as he was outside, the doors closing his way into the building. A crowd of onlookers gathered, there to bear witness to the humiliation of Lex Luthor. Before he could chastise them, he heard a familiar voice.

"Lex, I came as soon as I heard."

Lex turned around to see Clark Kent, Lena Luthor at his side. "Clark!" Lex could hardly believe his good fortune. Not that Kent could actually do anything, but the fact that his best friend had dropped everything and come right away was enough … for now.

"I am so sorry, Lex."

Clark hugged him. Lex was not accustomed to being hugged by anyone other than Lena, and if it were anyone other than Clark, it would have been weird. Lex did not know what it was about his friend, but Clark's arrival seemed to cause the onlookers to move on.

"You're here, Clark, and that's what matters." Lex then looked at both Clark and Lena. "You've just witnessed it: my humiliation at the hands of cretins. Tell me, Clark; are these the people you seek to save?"

"Corrupt businessmen?" Clark shook his head. "No. They're the ones I seek to save people from."

"Well said," Lena opined, looking admiringly at Clark.

At this point, one of the security guards walked over to the group. She was a slender woman with close cropped blonde hair. At first, Lex thought she might be here to tell him and his friends to leave the outdoors area of the Luthor Corp building, but that turned out not to be the case.

"What do you want?"

"Mercy Graves, Sir," the woman said, extending her hand.

Lex shook her hand and said, "You still haven't answered my question."

"Firstly, I am very sorry for your loss, Mister Luthor. Secondly, I work for you, Sir, not the board."

"Technically, you work for Luthor Corp," Lex countered, "but if you're loyal to me, that loyalty will be rewarded when I wrest control of the company back from the board."

"I'm not looking for rewards, Sir," the young woman explained. "You probably don't remember me, but when you happened into HR when I arrived for my interview. There was a scheduling snafu, and they were going to send me away, but you told them to interview me anyway. You're the reason I have this job, Sir. I work for you; loyalty is a two-way street. Not many people understand that. The board expects my loyalty because I'm on payroll. You've earned my loyalty by helping me before I was on payroll."

"Alright, Ms. Graves," Lex said. "First things first, then. This is my sister, Lena, and this mountain of a man is Clark Kent, my best friend."

Clark and Lena both shook Mercy's hand, with Lena giving a formal, "How do you do?" and Clark saying, "My pleasure, Ma'am," in that midwestern way that only Clark could.

"Likewise," Mercy replied to Lena and Clark.

"I still have considerable resources," Lex declared. "I will run a background check on you, Mercy, as at this point, I would be foolish not to. If I like what I see – and I'm certain I will – then I will hire you on personally. You will work for me, and when the time comes to take back my company, you will be there at my side."

Lex then turned to Clark and Lena.

"I will need allies. I want you both with me in this."

Clark nodded. "I'm interviewing at the Planet tomorrow, Lex. I'll be sure to give you fair and unbiassed coverage – assuming they let me anywhere near the story."

"Why not biased in Mister Luthor's favor?" Mercy's question was almost an accusation.

Lex, however laughed. "Fair and unbiassed is exactly what I want, Mercy – with the Lane woman on some kind of vendetta, looking to take my father and his company down, fair and unbiassed is all I ask. I don't want to be judged for my father's successes, failures, or sins. I want to be judged on my own merit – and my own flaws. Also, Clark promised to be there to document technological breakthroughs made by me and my company."

"And that promise still stand, Lex."

"Your promises always do, Clark." Lex looked at Lena, Clark, and Mercy. "This day has been … harrowing. I thought it was just going to get worse, but then the three of you come along and pick me up and dust me off. You've reminded me of who I am. Lex Luthor will never go down."

"That remains to be seen."

All four of them looked to see Lois Lane standing there, photographer Jimmy Olsen snapping their picture.

"Lane …." Lex was fuming. This was the woman who had hounded her father and his company. Now, even in death, Lois Lane would not let go, and now her hatred would be turned on Lionel Luthor's son.

"In the flesh, Lex Luthor. I am sorry for your loss …."

"No, you're not," Lex spat. "You hated him!"

"No, I did not. I reported on the issues as I saw them," Lois retorted. "I see you've managed to hang on to Kent's friendship." She shot Clark a look that was a mix of disappointment and betrayal. "He's a newcomer to this hellhole your company has created, but if you pass muster with him, maybe you can undo the damage."

Lex was about to shoot back at her with a strong retort, when her words hit him. "You think I can … change things?"

"For the better, I hope," the reporter replied. "I'm a reporter, Mister Luthor – my job is to be unbiassed and fair. I'll report on what you do – the good _and_ the bad. If you're truly the good man Clark Kent believes you to be, I'll sing your praises on the front page. If you turn out to be your father's son … then I'll make it my purpose to take you down!"

Lena had had enough. "How … how dare you?" The distraught sister of Lex Luthor was sobbing as she shouted. "Our father is dead, and you can't even take a moment to be kind? You … you miserable …."

Clark held Lena, allowing Lex to respond to Lois. "It's alright, Lena. Ms. Lane if you're serious – if you're truly on the level, then I welcome your scrutiny. If you truly intend to report on me fairly, and without any bias, then you will see that I really am the man Clark knows me to be." Then his tone changed from conciliatory to confrontational. "But if you libel me, I will take down your paper and everyone in it. The Planet will be buried in the deepest grave and you will never work as a journalist again."

Mercy Graves stood, taller than Lois, her arms crossed and a menacing glare on her face.

Lois did not even flinch. Instead, she grinned. "Challenge accepted, Lex Luthor."


	16. Chapter 16 Metropolis

Once Lois accepted Lex's challenge, she marched right past Clark Kent, making a beeline for Luthor Corp's front door. He tried to get her attention, but she quickened her pace. She could not face him right now. Even though she knew his history with the Luthors, it still bothered her to see him standing with Lex and Lena. Especially Lena. The Luthor girl looked at Clark with stars in her eyes. Thankfully, Clark seemed to be ignoring it, but Lois' jealousy was in full force and she had to get away from him before she said something stupid.

Why did she care? Why did a man she had not seen in six years become so important to her right this second? The obvious answer was that she had become infatuated with him when investigating the Smallville Superboy story and seeing him again ignited those feelings once more.

"Luthor Corp board first, handsome lug of a farm boy with superpowers later," she said aloud to herself as she entered the building, unsure of whether or not it would be bad form to actually thank the board for booting Lex.

-S-

Lois Lane's article about the death of Lionel Luthor pulled no punches. Death did not bring the tech industry titan sainthood. Lois masterfully balanced Luthor's mostly positive public image with his misdeeds, virtually all of which Lois had reported on at some time or another. At the same time, she managed somehow not to kick him while he was down.

Her companion article about the board forcing Lex and Lena out of their father's company was likewise balanced and informative, all without either canonizing or condemning Lex Luthor. She characterized him as brilliant, but haughty, egotistical, and ambitious, traits to which Lex himself openly admitted.

Her article was far less kind about Luthor Corp's board, which as far as Lois was concerned, was filled with callous, predatory old men whose greed knew no bounds. She knew them all very well, and had reported on each of them many times in the past five years. She had no love of Lionel Luthor, but it was naivety to think that the board had not been complicit. With Lionel, the focal point of her articles, gone, the board bore the full brunt of her journalistic fury.

Lex was an unknown, and true to her words, Lois did not punish him for his father's sins. The paper was barely on the streets for an hour when Lex Luthor called the Planet and thanked the staff for reporting fairly.

Lois looked at her article with ambivalence. When she wrote it, she thought it was pointed and on the mark. Having a Luthor compliment her, however, made her feel as though she had in some way sacrificed her journalistic integrity.

"Great work, Lane." It was Perry's gruff voice. "Not many people would have been able to remind the world that Luthor was an underhanded snake without looking like they're piling onto a dead man to tear down his …" Perry twisted his face in disgust before saying, "legacy."

"Really?" Lois was relieved, though not entirely convinced. "I thought I went too easy."

"Are you kidding?" Perry looked at her incredulously. "You gave young Lex enough rope to hang himself with. If he turns out like his old man, nobody can accuse you of having it in for him from the get-go." Then he laughed. "That crooked bunch of no-good robber barons on his board of directors needed to be taken down a peg, and you knocked 'em down several. Doing that to Lex was even lower than their usual standards. Still don't like him, but …."

"Why not?"

Lois and Perry turned to see Clark Kent, Perry's morning interview. Dressed in a business suit and tie, wearing a black top coat and his head topped with a fedora, a briefcase in his hand, Clark Kent was no longer a farm boy.

"Who are you?" Perry looked annoyed and asked in that tone that sent young Olsen and more than a few seasoned reporters running for cover.

Kent, however, did not flinch or waver. "Clark Kent, Sir." The aspiring journalist extended his right hand.

"Ah, you're the one Lois told me about." Perry smiled and shook Clark's hand, a look of surprise on his face. "That's quite a grip you've got there, Kent."

 _You have no idea, Perry_ , Lois thought.

"And I don't like him because he spews the most vile sentiments about the common man that I've heard since …" Perry thought for a moment and finished with, "As long as I can remember. Too many shades of a small man from Austria with a little square mustache under his nose."

Clark nodded. Lois thought Kent might suddenly launch into his boyhood friendship with Lex and talk about how Lionel Luthor had helped his very common man mother and father, but instead, Clark just said, "The ego is a most dangerous enemy indeed, and Lex is not the first to face it and be overwhelmed."

Perry's expression shifted, and Lois could tell that the managing editor of the Daily Planet was unsure of how to respond. Kent's observation was both accurate and undamning, and neither supported nor damned Lex Luthor.

"Overwhelmed?" Perry finally asked. "I'd say his ego killed him and buried him years ago."

"Sometimes, a man like him just needs to be reminded of what's important," Clark replied. "Lois' article really hits the mark in that regard. I hope he takes it to heart."

Clark Kent had become a man. It had been six years since Lois had seen the big farm boy whose hands could crush a lump of coal into a diamond. He was handsome then. Now, he was here in Metropolis, standing less than three yards away, speaking with wisdom beyond his years. Kent still had the hopeful idealism with which Lois once burned, but it was tempered by a kind of insight that she rarely saw in twenty-something men.

"And what happens if he doesn't take it to heart?" Perry leaned forward, mere inches from Kent. "Men like him rarely do, you know."

"Then we stand up to him and protect the people."

Clark's reply was spoken in a conversational tone, but his voice and his eyes had an intensity that Lois had not recalled seeing in him six years ago. Perry saw it too, Lois could tell. His grimace slowly changed into a grin.

"I like you, Kent," Perry finally declared. "Now, come into my office and let's talk business."

"Right away, Sir," Clark replied.

-S-

When Clark Kent stepped out of Perry's office, the two men shaking hands, Lois knew he got the job. She was happy for him, but she also was nervous. Kent was still Lex Luthor's best friend, and that bothered her. With his kind of power, he could make Lex unstoppable. He could also potentially serve as Luthor's eyes and ears. Clark certainly seemed his own man, but if Lex employed Lena to use her feminine wiles on the young reporter, Lois could easily see Kent being seduced into the Luthors' sphere of influence.

She felt her cheeks burn. Jealousy was something Lois had struggled with all her life, and right now, jealousy of what Lena could potentially represent burned within her.

Kent was everything Lois could have dreamed of in a man. He still had a touch of that boyish charm, but time away from Smallville had matured the midwestern youth. His eyes had an intensity that they did not have before. Back then, Clark was still trying to find himself and figure out who he was. Now, steely eyed determination and a confidence borne of experience out in the world shown on his face.

"Lois," Clark began, walking over to her desk. "I almost didn't recognize you yesterday."

She was not sure if this was good or not. "I recognized you right away, Kent."

He shrugged and offered a grin. "I haven't really changed all that much. You, though – you look ready for primetime."

Lois looked down at her plum business suit. The jacket, skirt and high heels were just the right mix of feminine and power-suit – a far cry from the jeans and T-shirt she wore when meeting Clark in Smallville six years ago. Based on his expression, she was having the same effect on him that he was having on her.

"I really appreciate you, Lois. You can't imagine how much."

"Oh?" She was not sure where he was going with this.

"You put in a good word with Mister White. You didn't have to. Heck, I'm Lex Luthor's best friend; you could have easily dissuaded him from hiring me."

"I keep my promises, Kent, even to friends of Luthor." Then her look hardened. "You seem like the kind of man who keeps his promises too, which makes me wonder what you might owe to Lex."

Clark looked at her with an intensity that would have made a lesser woman wilt. "I make no promises that will compromise my integrity Lois. It's the reason I've rebuffed both Lionel Luthor and Lex in their efforts to convince me to work with them. Lex has been a good friend to me, Lois, but the way he and I view people is … dramatically different. I've watched the direction Luthor Corp has taken with real estate in Metropolis, and I do not like it."

"What about Lena?" She wished she had not asked the question, but it was too late.

Clark, however looked at her with puzzlement. "What about her?"

Before she could reply to him, however, Jimmy Olsen intruded.

"Hey, Mister Kent! Welcome to the Planet." Olsen offered to shake Clark's hand. "Jimmy Olsen, photojournalist." Then he looked at Lois with a scowl and added, "regardless of what Miss Lane has to say on the matter."

"Pleased to meet you, Jimmy." Clark shook Jimmy's hand, and never came back to the photographer's snide comment about Lois. "I've seen your work – you have a good eye. I look forward to working with you."

"Say, I heard you say you were Lex Luthor's best friend." Jimmy noted. "That is so cool!"

Clark nodded. "He and I were high school friends, Jimmy … but it's also when I was in high school that I first met Miss Lane."

Jimmy looked at Kent with confusion. "You went to high school with Miss Lane? Isn't she like, I don't know, a lot older than you?"

"Jimmy!" Lois' hands went to her hips and she glared at the young photographer.

"That's an unlikely conclusion," Clark said with a slight chuckle. "She and I grew up hundreds of miles apart. I suspect she went to high school here on the east coast, not middle America."

Jimmy looked to be trying to puzzle it out, but not sure how to respond to Lois' withering glare.

"As for Miss Lane's age," Clark continued, "anyone calling themselves a journalist should know that ribbing a lady about her age is foolish at best."

"Such sage wisdom should not be ignored," Lois noted. Then with a wave of her hand she added, "Now, run along, Jimmy."

As Jimmy wandered off, she turned her attention back to Clark. "I expect you to put your friendship with Luthor …"

"Lex."

"Lex," Lois acknowledged. "Put your friendship with Lex aside." Then she hurriedly added, "When you write that is."

Clark flashed her a warm grin.

He still made her nervous – Clark was friends with the man who terrified her more than anyone. Lex Luthor and the Luthor Corp board held the city's fate in their hands. Law enforcement and the Daily Planet were at their wits' end with no relief in sight, and the criminal element was taking full advantage of law enforcement's weakness. The balance was tipping in favor of the forces of darkness, and the light flickered on the verge of going out. Only the Planet stood against Luthor.

Clark's level of power made him a wildcard. With a wave of his hand Clark Kent could give Luthor the world on a silver platter … or he could be the greatest force for good the world had ever seen – and both alternatives terrified Lois beyond measure.


	17. Chapter 17 Metropolis

**Chapter 17 – Metropolis**

Lois and Clark stepped into the crosswalk as they walked to the coffee house across the street from the Planet. He looked back at the Planet building. It was old, like the rest of the city, and topped by a large, gold painted planet ringed with two gold painted hoops which supported the bold lettering that read out the famous newspaper's name.

Unlike the buildings around it, the Planet was in good repair. Much of Metropolis was failing, and many of the buildings were in obvious disrepair. By comparison, the Planet was just old and tired looking. Still, even among the squalor, the building was majestic.

"Gawking at the big city, Smallville?" Lois offered a sardonic smile.

"Just the Planet, Lois."

"You can thank Luthor Corp for the state of the city," she noted as they stepped out of the crosswalk and onto the sidewalk. "Ten years ago, this place still looked okay. Now, even Gotham looks better. Now, this place is hopeless."

"It's not hopeless, Lois."

Lois turned abruptly on her heels, her eyes flashing with anger. "Look around you, Smallville! This city is rotting! Luthor Corp has destroyed it! Crime is at epidemic levels, and we're the murder capital of the world!"

"You can't give up, Lois."

"You don't understand, Clark! You're the most powerful man I've ever seen, and you're Luthor's best friend. What hope do we have with you at his side?"

Clark took her hand, somewhat surprised that she allowed him to, and smiled. "I'm not at his side, Lois. I'm standing at yours."

Lois looked up at him, searching his face for the truth of his words. "Do you really mean that, Clark?"

He nodded. "I came here to turn Lex away from the path his father walked, and to protect Lena should he refuse to be turned. Even more than that, I came here specifically to be at your side."

Lois raised her left eyebrow and looked at him in disbelief. "Don't tell me you came here because you have a crush on me."

"From the day you left Smallville, I've followed your work, Lois. I've never seen a woman like you. You inspire me, Lois, like … nobody I've ever met. I've seen the uphill battle you fight here every day. You, the Planet, the police, and the countless social service workers who do all that they can to make this a better place. I came here to join you in that fight."

"I … inspire … you?" Lois shook her head. "Clark, you can do … amazing things, things I could never hope to do. You saved me, remember?"

"No, Lois, you saved me, though I didn't know it at the time."

"How?" Lois looked incredulous.

"I saw in you … something compelling. Something amazing."

"What – a worn down, nearly burned out reporter who's not even thirty yet?"

"No; an idealistic, charismatic, powerful woman who believed she could change the world," Clark replied. "I wanted to be … like you."

"Worn down and burned out?"

"No; someone who could change the world." He touched her cheek. "And you're not burned out, Lois. You just can't change the world by yourself."

"Need someone watching my back?"

Clark nodded, which brought a grin to Lois' face.

"It's a never-ending battle, Clark. You sure you're up for it?"

"More than anything."

Lois smiled back at him. "Alright, Smallville – you're on. You can start by buying me my latte. This soldier of journalism needs caffeination before battle."

The two went inside, where Clark bought Lois a latte and a black coffee for himself, after which Lois haled a cab and told the driver, "Take us to the Simon Project and drop us off at the corner of Fourteenth and Prescott."

The alarmed driver asked, "You sure about that, Lady?"

"Always sure," Lois replied before sipping her latte. "Don't worry; I'll keep my colleague out of harm's way."

"Whatever you say," the driver replied before getting the cab underway.

-S-

The cab stopped at the corner of Fourteenth and Prescott, just as Lois had requested. Lois and Clark exited the vehicle, which sped away as soon as Clark closed the door.

"You want to stand at my side in the never-ending battle?" Lois made a sweeping gesture. "The Simon Project is the front lines."

The Simon Project; nicknamed "Suicide Slum," looked like a war zone. Many of the buildings were abandoned and showed signs of repeated vandalism, while those what were occupied did not look much better. Several burned out cars were left at the roadside to rot, like silent sentinels warning trespassers to stay away. Mostly non-white residents eyed the two of them with a mixture of suspicion and contempt. Lois and Clark were outsiders here.

"Place looks bad," Clark noted.

"Bad is an understatement," Lois replied. "Luthor kept drugs coming into the city, making sure that the Simon Project was saturated with them. His flunkies on the City Council blocked every measure that might have helped the Project, and he's made sure that there's little to no police presence. This neighborhood is ripe for the picking."

"So, why are we here?"

"Partly so you could see just how bad things are," Lois replied. "But mainly, I'm here because Meredith Garland, an activist fighting against Luthor's gentrification, disappeared here in the Simon Project, and of course, nobody will talk to the police."

"But they'll talk to you?"

"Most won't," she conceded. "But somebody will."

Clark just nodded, taking it all in. He opened his hearing to its fullest capacity and listened. Conversations, arguments, telephone calls, people singing to themselves, and even children at play were his to examine. He filtered out the extraneous as he listened for two things: cries for help and talk of Luthor.

He was soon rewarded by both.

"We've gotta move!"

Clark took Lois' hand and tried his best not to drag the surprised woman. He could not leave her alone in this environment, but her presence hampered him as he ran toward one of the abandoned buildings.

People outside looked puzzled by the presence of two well-dressed reporters in the Simon Project, and their proximity to the building put them in danger. A quick scan of the building with his X-Ray vision revealed that it was rigged to come down. It seemed that this building was unoccupied, but there were people – a family it looked like – trapped inside. Their cries for help were loud in his ears.

"That building," he said to Lois. "It's rigged with explosives! I need to get inside!"

"Clark how can you …."

"You know the kinds of things I can do," he reminded her. "I can hear them inside."

Whoever had rigged the building had also chained the doors and barred the windows. He noticed that the bars were a recent addition, odd in an abandoned building.

Clark shouted to the people outside, "Get back! Can't you hear the people inside shouting? It's coming down!"

With that, Clark Kent charged into the building.

Lois Lane looked on in disbelief. Even knowing what Clark Kent was capable of, it was still unnerving to watch him just leap into action. At least he seemed to know how to keep the use of his powers hidden from onlookers.

She took in the scene and began photographing. That was when she notices a van parked across the street. It was a shining white Ford Econoline van with a bright red logo belonging to a home improvement contractor. She almost overlooked it, but something was not right. A brand-new van in this part of town, advertising a service that likely nobody could afford.

Lois took photos of the van, careful to get the license plates. She noticed that nobody was inside, but the owners, whoever they were, would not be far away, of that she was certain.

As Lois photographed the van, Clark gained entry into the building. He made a quick and surreptitious use of his super strength to break the lock and get inside. He found the family in the building's basement. They were not just trapped inside, either; they had been tied to a pole, and gagged, a mother and three children. The oldest child, a boy, had worked his gag loose, and was the one who had been calling out. It was pure happenstance that Clark was in the area with Lois, as nobody outside would have heard the boy shouting from the basement of the building.

"You gotta get us outta here," the boy began, but Clark was already on it.

"I heard your shouts," Clark said as he snapped the ropes and gathered the family. "Come on! Only seconds left!"

Clark was large enough, and as a former football player, nobody would question why a rookie reporter was stronger than the average Joe. Carrying the four of them at one time, two in each arm, Clark poured on a burst of speed, and blew through the front door just as the explosives went off. The blast allowed him to 'fly' them away from the building, seemingly blown forward by the explosion, to a safe distance.

"Wow," the boy exclaimed. "You landed perfectly!"

The mother, a matronly black woman, looked at him, her eyes wide. "You—you risked your life to save us!"

"A risk worth taking," he replied.

She hugged him. "You saved my babies, Mister! You almost died in there!"

In truth, he could have arranged the explosives into a beanbag chair and reclined on them as they blew, and it would not have scratched him, but he could hardly tell the woman that.

Now, his attention turned to Lois Lane. She was keeping a safe distance from the building, snapping pictures of a shiny new Ford van with a contractor's logo on the side. At first, he wondered why she had gotten sidetracked, but if Lois Lane was anything, it was focused. She did not do anything without a reason.

It was then that he noticed four more men wearing coveralls leaving another dilapidated tenement, and he recognized the detonator that one of them was carrying. His X-Ray vision revealed that the building was unoccupied but laced with explosives.

"Those are the men who tied us up," the mother he had just rescued shouted.

"You! That's a detonator," Clark shouted. "You're the ones blowing these buildings!"

Clark's shout got Lois' attention, and she immediately began snapping pictures of them.

They ran for the van, but Clark was on them. They pulled guns, but Clark's speed and strength were too much for them. He disarmed them and knocked them out, expending almost no effort whatsoever. Clark quickly bound them with cord that Lois found inside the van. All looked on, astounded; quiet at first, but then they began applauding. Clark smiled sheepishly, unused to such a reaction. Normally, he did not stick around for people to see him. Thankfully, he was able to take care of the men without obvious use of his powers.

"Are you alright?"

Lois question caught him off guard. "Of course, I am, Lois. I …."

He then realized that it was not him she was speaking to, but the mother and her children.

"Miss Lane," the woman gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"I came looking for you – my colleague and I." Lois motioned to Clark. "These kids …."

"They kidnapped them before they grabbed me," the woman explained.

Clark realized that this was the very woman whose disappearance Lois had been investigating – Meredith Garland.

"They told me to meet them here if I wanted to see my kids again," Meredith explained. "I had no idea they planned to just kill us. Why, if it hadn't been for your friend there …."

Lois smiled at Clark and nodded. "He's new at the Planet, but I find he's a good man to have around."

"The police will be here soon," Clark noted, his acute hearing picking up the sounds of the approaching cars. "If you want to question those goons before the police arrive, now's the time, Lois."

"Good idea, Smallville."

Lois and Clark roused the bound bombers, at which point, Lois lit into them.

"Lois Lane – Daily Planet. Who hired you to demolish these buildings and to kill Meredith Garland?" Lois held out her handheld microcassette recorder to document their responses.

The men were groggy, but when they realized Lois was questioning them, they started snickering. Then one of them replied.

"We ain't talkin' to the press, Legs."

Clark hoped that they might say something incriminating by accident, but unlike the movies, the bad guys did not spill their evil plan to Lois and Clark. These men were high end, and were unlikely to reveal anything to the police either.

With the building's demolition, the police were soon on hand, taking the bombers into custody. Upon learning of another building laced with explosives, the bomb squad was called in. A very tired looking woman with close cropped auburn hair and a cigarette hanging from her mouth walked over to Lois and Clark.

"Lane," the woman said.

"Detective Sawyer," Lois replied. "Any ideas?"

Sawyer just sighed. "Same old story, Lane. Some high-end legal eagle'll have these goons out within forty-eight hours."

"Can I quote you on that, Maggie?" Lois asked.

"Sure, for all the good it'll do."

"Out within forty-eight hours," Clark said incredulously. "Even on kidnapping and attempted murder?"

Detective Sawyer let out a mirthless laugh. "Your friend doesn't know how Metropolis works, does he, Lane?"

"Maggie, this is Clark Kent, the Planet's newest reporter, and my partner on this," Lois replied. "Clark, Detective Maggie Sawyer. She's a good cop, Clark; you can trust her."

Clark shook the detective's hand, saying, "Pleased to meet you, Detective."

Lois took final statements from Meredith and her kids while Clark questioned bystanders on what they might have seen. They were surprisingly open to talking with him. He supposed that his running into a building that was about to come down and rescuing Meredith and her kids counted for something in their eyes. He just hoped that he could find a way to help them. If what Maggie said was true, Metropolis was going to be a greater challenge than he had first anticipated.

As he and Lois walked away, Clark said, "I could hear those men talking amongst themselves, Lois – they talked about being paid by Luthor Corp."

"Knew it," Lois spat.

Lex was not on the board, so that cleared him of involvement, at least at this stage. However, a conversation overheard by Clark's super hearing was not enough to incriminate. He and Lois would need more – much more.


	18. Chapter 18 - Metropolis

**Chapter 18 – Metropolis**

Lois and Clark had returned to the Daily Planet after giving their statements to Maggie. Lois Lane's head was spinning from Clark's revelation.

"This … this is amazing, Clark."

"That anyone would do such a thing? It's monstrous!"

"No, Clark; I mean yeah, it is monstrous, but that's not what I meant. Thanks to you, I'm not guessing anymore. I know for sure that this really is connected to Luthor – Luthor- _Corp_ at least."

"I didn't think you were guessing before, Lois."

She shook her head. "I wasn't, but before it was always hunches, connecting the dots, and using deductive reasoning. I could never find that smoking gun that I could use to nail those bastards. Thanks to those ears of yours, they can't gaslight me anymore."

"Yeah, but just knowing that Luthor-Corp had paid people to demolish buildings in the Simon Project isn't enough to get Perry to go to print."

"No, but it gives me a place to start." Lois sighed, suddenly deflating. "Not that it matters. No matter what we do, Luthor-Corp will worm their way out of this."

Clark looked surprised. "You don't really believe that … do you?"

"You don't understand, Clark. Luthor-Corp is untouchable. Nobody will testify. Nobody will admit to working with them. There's never a firm connection; just mountains of circumstantial evidence that their lawyers can explain away."

"Then we need to find the evidence we need so they can't explain it away," Clark replied.

Lois buried her face in her hands. She hated to let him see this side of her. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "Clark, four people who would have died are alive because of you. As amazing as you were, they'll find a way to kill Meredith. They always do. It's hopeless."

Clark pulled her close. Lois stiffened for a moment, not expecting him to show such affection to her, and at the Planet no less. Then she relaxed, feeling safe in his warm embrace.

"Not this time, Lois. This time, things will be different."

-S-

Clark returned to his apartment. The workday was long, and despite their saving Meredith and her family, Lois seemed inconsolable by the end. Lois needed a breakthrough on this case, and Clark was certain where she could find one. Except that Lois would never go there. Clark would have to go there for her.

He picked up the phone and dialed, then waited as the phone rang. Finally, the person at the other end picked up.

"Lex Luthor."

"Lex, I have something I need your help with."

"You need only ask, Clark."

"This is big, but if I'm right, it could get you your company back."

Lex was silent for a moment. "Clark, if this really gets me my company back … I'll be eating every word I ever said to discourage you from the path of journalism."

"Can Mercy Graves hack computers?"

"No, but Lena can, and Mercy can get Lena to where she needs to be."

Clark did not like that. "I don't want to place Lena in any danger, Lex."

"We're already in danger, Clark. She and I are Lionel's heirs. The board wants us dead already."

"Alright then," Clark said with resignation. "I overheard the bombers say that they were paid five million dollars by Luthor-Corp. There has to be a record of it somewhere – it's too much money for there not to be."

"Agreed. I'll get on it right away. Thank you, Clark. This is the first real break we've had."

"Then let's not waste it."

"You'll be at the funeral tomorrow, right?" Lex asked as though he were uncertain.

"Of course, Lex. I'm a pall bearer, remember?"

"I assume Lane will be there in an official capacity?" The young Luthor's voice took on an edge of bitterness.

"She will – Perry made sure of that. I'm there as your friend, Lex; no reporting on my part."

Lex sighed. "I suppose I'm not surprised by that. Lena is really glad you'll be there with us."

"You're like family, Lex. You and Lena are like the brother and sister I never had."

"Be careful, Clark – a lot of people are gunning for us now. You stand with me, they'll be after you too. You can handle yourself, but if Lois is caught in the crossfire – I don't like her, but you care about her. Keep her safe, Clark."

Lex's words were ominous, but Clark understood. Lois placed herself at risk just doing her job, but Clark's intuition told him that the risks were about to become much greater.


	19. Chapter 19 - Metropolis

**Chapter 19 – Metropolis**

It was dark and stormy on the day of Lionel Luthor's funeral. The funeral was held at Saint Stephen's Church, an imposing gothic structure complete with gargoyles adorning its gray stone exterior. The occasional thunderclap accentuated the gloomy atmosphere. Clark found it appropriate. A titan had died, leaving chaos in his passing.

Turn-out was large in spite of the weather, though from what Clark could see, most of those present were business associates. The only family that he observed was Lionel's two children, Lex and Lena. There were also regular citizens, however, and his hearing picked up conversations that gave him a different perspective on the late tech mogul.

Many of those citizens in attendance spoke glowingly of the man, relating ways that Lionel Luthor had personally touched their lives and made a positive difference. It was a stark contrast to Lois' scathing articles.

"I wish I could send those snakes away," Lex commented, disrupting Clark's internal thoughts.

"The board?" Clark looked at Lex for clarification.

Lex nodded. "How dare they show their faces here." Then he looked over at the pew where Lois sat, her back facing them. "Even she has more right to be here. At least she had the courage to face him openly."

"Lena doesn't think so." Clark looked over at Lena Luthor, who glared across the aisle at Lois, daggers in her eyes, an equally severe Mercy Graves seated next to her.

"She's not like me, Clark. Were it not for Lois attacking Lena's daddy, they would be fast friends. As it is …."

"I don't see that rift mending for a long time," Clark observed.

"Nor do I. Tomorrow, we're going to begin that little project we discussed. Perhaps watching Lois tear into the board will give Lena a new perspective."

"Perhaps." Clark did not share Lex's optimism in that regard.

The two men cut their banter – the funeral was about to begin. Clark had never set foot in a Roman Catholic church before and found it ironic that it was his atheist friend who introduced him to one. This led him to wonder if Lionel had any religious inclination, or if it was the man's importance in the city that rated this lavish church funeral.

The funeral was a beautiful, but sad affair, as funerals generally are. Afterward, the mourners traveled to the cemetery, where Lionel Luthor's body was laid into the earth. The storms had not let up, and a tent had been erected to shield the mourners from the weather.

Lois stood with Clark, and he was surprised at how somber she was. This was not an outward show either. Lois was genuinely sad. She held onto Clark's arm through it all, and actually cried when they lowered the casket into the earth.

Lena was hysterical, with Lex holding her and comforting her. When it was all over, Clark went to them, at which point, Lena practically flung herself into Clark's embrace.

"I will miss him … so much," the Luthor girl sobbed.

Clark just held her. Lex looked rather forlorn, and Lois actually offered him a hug, which Lex seemed to genuinely appreciate. It was a strange sight to Clark, but with the passing of a titan like Lionel, nothing was ordinary.

"He was family to us too," Clark said to Lena. "Ma and Pa really liked him."

Lena just sobbed in his arms until finally, Lex touched her shoulder and gently took her hand. Clark kissed her forehead.

"I'll be watching out for you, Lena – you and Lex both."

"I know we didn't get off on the right foot, Lena," Lois said softly, "but I am deeply sorry for your loss."

The Luthor girl nodded tearfully as she went with Lex.

"You were here, Clark," Lex declared. "You have been here for Lena and me for longer than anyone except my parents. Luthors don't have friends, but you changed that, and I won't forget it."

Then he turned to Lois.

"You and my father sparred endlessly it seemed. I will miss the back and forth between the two of you."

Lois simply nodded. Clark wondered if the passing of Lionel had in some way taken a piece of Lois' identity. An enemy she had fought against for so long, a man who had been the singular focus of her anger, was suddenly gone.

"Lois, Clark, join us at the manor for lunch," Lex offered, Lena nodding in approval.

"Of course, Lex."

As he and Lois walked back to her car – now a 1987 Jeep Cherokee – Lois gripped his arm tightly. He opened the door for her, but she shook her head.

"You drive, Clark."

He walked her to the passenger side and helped her into the Jeep before getting into the driver's side and sliding the seat back before closing the door. As the driver's door shut with a thunk, Lois sat silently, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Lois …."

"I'm afraid, Clark. Terrified, actually."

"Of what?"

"If Lionel had the underlying decency that you claim he did … what if … as bad as he was, he was the only thing keeping Luthor-Corp from doing even worse?" She turned to face him. "Clark, I fear that with Lionel's death, something terrible has been unleashed, and I've learned to trust my intuition."

"Then we'll stand against it together, Lois."

She gripped his hand tightly and smiled. "Thank you, Clark. I'll be okay. Let's get this this over with."

"You're the boss, Lois. How bout I stop and pick you up your latte on the way?"

She giggled at this. "You know me well, Mister Kent. Drive on."


	20. Chapter 20 - Metropolis

**Chapter 20 - Metropolis**

Clark found that Lois' fears that things would get worse after Lionel Luthor's death came to fruition almost immediately. Crime spiked, people were turned out of their homes at an accelerated rate as Luthor-Corp stepped up its gentrification efforts. Today, Mercy and Lena were going to infiltrate Luthor-Corp and find the trail from the bombers to the board, but Clark hoped that they would turn up more than that. A lot was riding on this, and he hoped that Lena and Mercy were not in over their heads. It occurred to him that he should have worked out some means for them to contact him if things went south.

"Whatcha thinkin' bout?"

Clark looked up to see a slender blonde woman standing at his desk. Cat Grant, the paper's gossip columnist. Clark had never before seen a women's business suit with a mini skirt, but clearly it existed, as Cat was wearing it. She was also wearing perfume with a very powerful scent. It smelled good on her, blending with her natural scent rather than masking it, something upon which only someone with enhanced senses would consciously pick up.

"A story, Ms. Grant, and the recent spike in violent crime."

Cat perched herself on the corner of his desk, showing as much leg as she possibly could. Clark looked up from his chair, careful to maintain eye contact.

"Lois hasn't taken any time to introduce you to the rest of us ladies," Cat noted. "Rather selfish of her, don't you think?"

"Isn't that Perry's job?"

Cat looked puzzled for a moment, and then laughed. "Ah, yes. Perry is the editor in chief, so I suppose you're right. He could always pawn that task off on young Olsen … or me."

"You report on the entertainment and social elements of the city," Clark noted. "For what it's worth, I do read your page. I think you do an admirable job."

Cat grinned at this. "Finally; someone who appreciates my work around here."

"I assume Perry does," Clark noted neutrally. "He did hire you, after all, and from what I can see, he holds you in high esteem."

Cat made a face at his remark. Clark refused to buy into her 'nobody appreciates me' act, and it clearly bothered her.

"I hold you in high esteem," Jimmy Olsen said as he joined the conversation.

Cat shot him a perturbed look, and then flashed him a sarcastic smile. "Of course, you do, Jimmy."

"How's it goin', Mister Kent?" Jimmy shifted his attention from Cat to Clark.

"Going swell, Jimmy – thank you for asking," Clark replied. "Lois has been showing me the ropes, and everyone in the newsroom is pleasant."

"Swell?" Cat raised her eyebrows at this. "Clark, not many people feel comfortable saying … swell."

"I don't give much thought to what other people think, Cat."

Before she could respond, Clark heard the sound of sirens.

"Sorry; gotta run." With that, Clark was up and moving. He was needed, and today, everything was in place. As soon as he exited the newsroom, Clark poured on his super speed and dashed into the broom closet where he opened his shirt revealing the blue and red garment beneath. It was time for him to reveal himself to the world – this was a job for Superman.

-S-

Metropolis S.W.A.T. Captain Reagan had established a perimeter around the bank of Metropolis. The criminals were heavily armed and clad in body armor. They also had two armored vehicles which they used for cover. The regular police had already fallen before them, at which point Reagan and his team was called in.

There were ten men, and they had everyone inside the bank held hostage. Three officers had been killed already, and another lay in the street, her legs riddled with gunshot wounds. Whenever they tried to get to her, the perpetrators opened up with machine guns. Reagan had already learned the hard way that the perps were using armor piercing rounds, with one of his own men being shot. This would end in a blood bath, of that he was certain.

"We have you surrounded," Reagan called over the P.A. "Come out now before this gets any worse!"

The perps responded by tossing a grenade at the injured officer. Reagan shouted, "No!" Somehow, the grenade landed right on the wounded officer's legs. A loud boom sounded, sending him and his men reeling, but it was not the grenade that felled them.

Reagan and his team looked up to see a large, muscular man clad in red and blue tights and a long red cape with what he thought was an "S" in a diamond shaped field on the back. The man held the grenade in his right hand, where it exploded, the blast contained within the steely fist of this mysterious interloper.

The man wore no gloves, and should have been dead, but the blast did not even phase him. One of the armor-clad perps stepped out from behind one of the armored vehicles a minigun slung over his shoulder and cradled in his arms. The massive six barreled weapon began discharging large caliber rounds intended to kill this hero-man and the downed officer, but the man interposed himself between the officer and the gunman. He looked back in Reagan's direction.

"Get her to safety, Captain. I'll take it from here."

With that, he began a steady march toward the minigun wielding perp, bullets bouncing harmlessly from his chest.

Reagan heard one of the perps yell, "Shoot him in the head!"

The gunman obliged, but the result was the same – bullets bounced off his bare skin. Reagan and his men moved in to recover the downed MCP officer as this … superman drew the gunmen's fire. By now, more were shooting at this caped man, firing grenades at him, which exploded harmlessly against his invulnerable flesh. An armored man with a laws rocket fired at the caped man, the rocket hitting the superman right in the face.

Reagan thought the caped man was done for, but the rocket did not even slow him down. How? How could anyone withstand such concentrated fire? How could anyone withstand high explosives and rockets? How did this man even get here? One minute the officer was on the ground about to be blown apart, and then with a sonic boom, this superman appeared from nowhere to save her.

His men pulled the wounded officer to safety right as a gray Jeep Cherokee pulled up, tires screeching as the vehicle came to a stop. Lois Lane leaped from the driver's seat, and that punk kid, Jimmy Olsen, jumped from the passenger seat, Nikon in hand.

"Oh, geez," he spat. "Press."

"Happy to see you too," Lois said sarcastically.

The Superman had suddenly vanished, a sustained sonic boom sounding as what appeared to be a miniature tornado enveloped the armored vehicles and the gunmen.

Lois and Jimmy were buffeted by the turbulence created by the whirlwind, Olsen feverishly snapping pictures and Lois practically shouting into her microcassette recorder as she described the scene.

Reagan and his men looked confused, unsure of what to do next, a look of mild panic on the S.W.A.T. captain.

When the whirlwind stopped, hovering overhead, looking down at them was what Lois could only describe as a god. It was the Smallville Superboy … only he was no longer in Smallville and no longer a boy. His square jaw and powerful frame belonged to a man.

"Superman …." Lois gasped as she looked up at him, panic eating at the edges of her consciousness.

It was Clark, but not as she had ever seen him. Silhouetted against the sun, he looked almost black, a ruby glow emanating from his eyes, and waves of heat radiating from his body. Superman – for that is indeed what he was – floated about thirty feet above them, two armored vehicles in his right hand, his grip strong enough to hold them by the tow hooks. In his left hand he held the gunmen – all of them – neatly wrapped in steel cord from the winches of one of the armored vehicles.

Slowly, Superman descended, gently depositing the armored vehicles and the unconscious gunmen on the ground before his feet came to rest on the pavement. The armored vehicles creaked and groaned as he set them down, and the steel cord strained in his hand until he deposited the gunmen on the ground.

Once he landed, no longer silhouetted by the sun, Lois could see him clearly. Emblazoned on the chest of his blue tights was a red framed diamond, shaped like a baseball home plate, with a red symbol that could have been an "S" on a gold field. The suit shimmered, and its snug fit showed off all of the man of steel's musculature. He looked at the assembled police officers and crowd with a warm expression of friendship. Superman was an imposing, godlike being.

However, his eyes no longer glowed, and his body no longer radiated heat. Suddenly, at least to Lois, he was approachable.

The bewildered hostages began making their way out of the building. The doors to the bank had been torn from their hinges, telling of Superman's faster than a speeding bullet flight into the bank to round up the gunmen inside.

"Good to see you again, Miss Lane," he said with a smile and a wink.

"You're a long way from Kansas, Superman," she said, addressing him by this new moniker as though it had been his all along.

"Metropolis is my home now, Miss Lane. I'll do what I can to make it better."

With that, he leapt into the air, a sonic boom sounding, and he was gone. Lois looked on with stunned amazement. Nothing would ever be the same … and for the first time in years, Lois and all of Metropolis had hope.


	21. Chapter 21 - Metropolis

**Chapter 21 - Metropolis**

"What was he?"

Jimmy's question echoed in Lois' mind, though Lois knew far more about Superman than young Olsen. Seeing him today, however, she realized that she knew next to nothing. Clark never had answered her on that summer night more six years ago. Instead, he asked her if she had read some old Edgar Rice Burroughs book, the title of which she could not even recall. Then their conversation meandered in other directions.

"I don't know, Jimmy, but I do know who he is."

"You know his true identity?"

"I know he's the Smallville Superboy I investigated a few years back, but he's changed."

"Should we be worried?" Jimmy's voice was low, tinged with fear, almost as if he did not want Superman to overhear him.

"No, Jimmy," Lois said with a smile. "He's here to help."

-S-

Chloe and Lana watched the television in rapt attention as they stood on the Smallville sidewalk outside of the Radio Shack, a large color television playing in the window. Every station played footage of the Man of Steel, a godlike being who could shatter the sound barrier, bend steel in his bare hands, and who defied the Earth's gravity. Lois Lane had already called him Superman; a fitting description. Chloe and Lana knew him as Clark Kent.

"He said we'd see," Chloe gasped. "He said the world would see …."

Lana only nodded. What more could she say? Neither woman knew how powerful Clark was, or how powerful he might become. But there he was on the TV screen, hovering above the ground, holding what looked like two armored personnel carriers in one hand, his body radiating raw energy, distorting the air around him, and a ruby glow in his eyes. His face was obscured, but Clark Kent was unmistakable to Chloe and Lana.

"The devil himself!"

Chloe and Lana turned to see an older woman crossing herself as she watched the image on the screen.

"No," Lana cried. "No, he ain't! He helped that cop!"

The older woman glared at the two of them before scurrying off, eager to get away from the image of Superman.

"I've never seen anything like him, Lana," Chloe remarked. "The idea that a man like him exists is going to be hard for a lot of people to accept."

As they continued to watch, Superman descended to greet the police and a reporter from the Daily Planet, Lois Lane. His demeanor changed from godlike and imposing to warm and friendly. His face was visible, but for some reason, just out of focus. It was almost as though he was doing it on purpose.

"Well they're a-gonna have to accept him," Lana retorted. "He ain't goin' away, an' they can't make him. He's a-changin' everything, an' everything's a-gonna change with him."

Chloe only nodded. Lana's assessment was accurate – in the blink of an eye, Clark Kent had changed the world. None watching the broadcast would ever be the same again.

-S-

While Lena Luthor was trying to get inside the Luthor-Corp headquarters with the help of Mercy Graves, Lex Luthor watched television in the lavish Metropolis condo his father had maintained. He had spent much of the day with his lawyer working to keep his and Lena's rights to their father's company intact, though if Lena was successful in getting the information Clark needed, Lois and Clark could nail the board to the wall and pave the way for Lex's ascendancy.

He took a break from his machinations to tune into CNN, hoping to catch the business and finance report.

To his shock, the lead story was some kind of bank heist gone awry. It seemed that the would be bank robbers had taken hostages and even held off Captain Reagan's S.W.A.T. team with armored vehicles and heavy machine guns but were foiled when a single man arrived on the scene.

Superman.

It was Clark Kent. Lex watched with fascination as his best friend, clad in a form fitting costume complete with a cape, marched through a hail of bullets, took grenades and rocket blasts, and then proceeded to fly at super-speed, rounding up the villains in mere seconds. Clark Kent had finally revealed himself to the world, and Lex could not have been more proud.

Kent hovered over the lesser beings, looking down at them as he defied their planet's pitiful gravity.

Even Lois Lane was caught on live television looking up at Kent with her mouth hanging open. That sight in particular made Lex smile. Clark was her better and it was high time he let her know.

Of course, the robbery and the appearance of such a man a mere block from Luthor-Corp meant that Luthor-Corp security would be preoccupied, hopefully giving Lena a better chance of success. With Mercy on the inside and Clark on the outside, the brilliant Lena's success was virtually guaranteed. Even Lex, who was a master programmer, was not Lena's equal when it came to computer hacking.

The phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. The caller ID read, 'Lang, F.' Why would Lana's father be calling him now?

After three rings, he answered the call. "Lex Luthor."

" _Lex, I don't know if you remember me, but …._ "

"Doctor Lang," Lex said impatiently. "Yes, I remember. What do you need?"

" _Your father and I made a discovery back in Smallville six years ago, Lex. I can't say anymore over the phone. You must come to Smallville at once_."

"Doctor Lang, you know that I'm fighting for my place in my father's company right now. I can't just up and leave."

" _You must, Lex. This is bigger than … everything_." Lang paused for a moment and added, " _This is related to the flying man on TV_."

Lex's eyes widened at this. A thousand thoughts went through his head, but he came to one inescapable conclusion: Lionel and Doctor Lang had a piece of alien technology in their possession.

"I'll be in the air by morning."

-S-

Lena sat in her father's office, using the late tech mogul's terminal to hack into Luthor-Corp's systems. She located the files and copied them to a 3.5" floppy disc. It was everything she had wanted and more, certainly more than enough to put the entire board away. She grinned with satisfaction as the download was completed.

"I've got you," she said aloud. "And now we'll take you down."

She took the floppy and surreptitiously placed it into her jacket pocket. She then shut down her late father's terminal and exited his office.

As soon as she stepped into the hallway, Mercy Graves caught her by the arm.

"Thought something suspicious was going on," the security professional exclaimed. "It's time for you to leave!"

Lena protested and acted indignant as Mercy escorted her from the building and sent her right out the front door … exactly as planned.

A limousine pulled up and the window of the right back door rolled down revealing the face of her brother, Lex Luthor. He opened the door and she climbed inside, closing the door behind her. As the limo drove away, Lex turned to his sister and hugged her. It was unusual for him to show affection so openly, but given the stakes, Lena was not shocked.

"Are you alright, Lena?"

"Your plan went without a hitch," Lena replied. "Mercy was perfect."

"Did you find what Clark was after?"

She nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "I found everything, Lex. The board is going down once Clark gets his hands on this!"

"Good." Lex breathed a sigh of relief. "I got a call from Doctor Lang. I need to go to Smallville immediately. Get this to Clark – he'll know what to do."

"Bet you're glad he's a journalist at the Planet now, aren't you?"

"You have no idea, Lena." Then he turned on the limo's television. "By the way, you'll want to see this."

Lena watched the breaking news of the superman. She gasped as the footage of him taking fire from the minigun was played. She turned to Lex, a look of shock mixed with mild panic on her face.

"That's Clark … isn't it?"

Lex grinned. "It is indeed, Lena."

She shook her head in disbelief. That Clark would use his powers so openly and so publicly was unthinkable. As the television showed him hovering over the crowd holding armored vehicles and several unconscious men wrapped up in steel cord in his hands, Lena experienced a moment of mild panic.

"This … this changes everything."

She only hoped that it was for the better.


	22. Chapter 22 - Metropolis

**Chapter 22 – Metropolis**

The image of Superman's relentless march toward the gunmen appeared above the fold on the front page of the Daily Planet underneath the headline, "Superman Saves Hostages!" Jimmy had wanted Lois to use the one of Superman hovering over the scene with the gunmen and armored vehicles in his grip, but Lois knew that Clark hated being seen as godlike. A demigod floating above the crowd radiating otherworldly power might also terrify rather than inspire, and it was inspiration Lois was going for.

The image of a heroic man bravely facing down a horde of armored gunmen wielding large caliber automatic weapons and high explosives, shielding a downed officer was far more compelling in her opinion.

Lois held the paper in her hands almost lovingly. Good news was hard to come by these days, but here it was on the front page of the Planet. Her accompanying article was among the best of her work. Lois was inspired like she had not been in years, and it was as if the words flowed from her fingertips as she typed.

"Great work, Lane," Perry said gruffly as he walked to her desk. "I need you and Kent in my office pronto."

Lois looked over at Clark, who was hard at work on a story about corruption and the city council. He had heard Perry's command – from what Lois could tell, Clark could hear everything in the building – but he continued typing as though he had not.

"Clark." Lois called sharply. "Didn't you hear Perry?"

"Oh?" He looked up with a befuddled expression, his large glasses exaggerating the effect.

"The chief wants us in his office," she reiterated. "Now."

Clark grinned innocently and joined her as she walked to the chief's office. She shook her head in mild frustration.

"Clark, I know you could hear him. Why did you wait for me to say something?"

He grinned again. "I like the sound of your voice, Lois."

Lois felt her cheeks flush at his remark. She liked him, and he liked her. Both of them knew it, but so far, neither had really flirted with the other. With one small remark, Clark Kent had changed that.

Seeing him appear as Superman added a whole new dimension to her attraction as well – as Superman, Clark was no longer the reluctant hero, hiding himself with subterfuge and super speed. He was out there now, challenging the world with his very existence, and Lois was awestruck. Even knowing what he was before, he took her breath away.

Clark had told her that she inspired him as no other person had. Did she have the same effect on him that he had on her? The thought made her grin.

"You'd better, Clark Kent – Perry's partnering us up on something, I just know it."

"Looking forward to it, Lois."

The two stepped into Perry's office, closing the door behind them. "You wanted to see us, Chief," Lois half said, half asked.

"Darn right," Perry barked. "I want you two on this Superman story like makeup on Tammy Faye Bakker! Lane, I want you and Kent to go to Smallville."

"Smallville?" Lois recoiled at the notion. "Chief, that's crazy! The action's here in Metropolis!"

"Superman came from Smallville, Lane," Perry countered. "I want you to do follow up – you were there years ago, and even though you wrote an ambiguous conclusion to your story, you met him. Find out who he is. Get Kent to help you. He knows people there and can connect you with the right people."

She wanted to protest, but were it any other story, she would be responding with a crisp 'right on it, Chief' and dragging Clark to wherever they were being sent. She could not refuse, but how on earth was she going to handle this?

Lois sighed. "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning," Perry replied. "I'll be setting you up at the Best Western – it's the nicest hotel in …."

"No need, Chief," Clark said with a grin. "My folks live in Smallville; I'll just ask them to prepare the guest bedroom for Lois – I can stay in my old room."

"Good thinking, Kent," Perry opined. "Anything that saves this paper money."

"My thoughts exactly, Chief."

As soon as Lois and Clark exited Perry's office, she whirled on him. "You weren't even sure you wanted me talking to your parents before. Now, you want me to stay in the house with them?"

"I didn't know you then, Lois," Clark explained. "I know you now."

"So, you trust me?"

"Implicitly."

Lois knew he was on the level. Clark never lied, not to her at least. Apart from maintaining the façade that he is a normal human being, she had never seen him lie at all. It was too early in their friendship to tell if he was really that truthful or simply very skilled at bending the truth, but Lois suspected he former.

"I will never break that trust, Clark," she promised.

"I know, Lois. That's why I trust you completely." Then he tilted his head as though he were straining to hear something. He looked back at Lois. "Twenty-Third and Main – get Olsen and get there as fast as you can."

With that, Clark was off. He offered no hints, but Lois knew what it was – Clark had heard something, something that had to be a job for Superman.


	23. Chapter 23 - Metropolis

**Chapter 23 – Metropolis**

Lois and Jimmy arrived at Twenty-Third and Main Street, just as Clark had directed. There on the corner, the Fleischer Building which had been abandoned for several months, was now a burnt-out husk. Superman had put out the fire, and news crews were already on the scene, filming Superman as he landed carrying an injured firefighter.

Jimmy jumped out and began feverishly snapping pictures. Lois made a beeline for the fire chief, hoping for an account of what had happened, but she stopped when she saw Superman handing the injured firefighter off to the paramedics.

"He was caught in some kind of blast – there's shrapnel dangerously close to his heart."

One of the EMTs looked at him with astonishment. "How can you ….?"

The paramedic's question was on Lois' mind as well. She knew he could see farther than any mortal, but this was different. She had asked him about this when they had rescued Meredith, but in the heat of the moment, he had only reminded her that he could do things normal people could not. Then, he replied to the paramedic and his answer was astounding.

"I can see through him."

Clark could see through the firefighter. He could see through the man's gear, clothing, and outer flesh to examine the injury and its proximity to vital organs beneath. All she could think of was that Clark could see through her clothing, and the thought brought a deep crimson blush to her face.

"I tell you, Miss Lane," the fire chief said as she joined Lois to watch Superman, "that man is a miracle!"

"Chief Rogers," Lois began, "what happened here?"

"Looks like arson if you ask me," Rogers replied. "Won't know for sure, but Superman got here just in time. He was like a … a tornado! He flew around the building at super-speed – I know, it sounds ridiculous when I say it out loud – and sucked the fire into the sky where it burnt itself out. Then he blasted the building with … freeze breath!"

Lois' eyes widened. "Freeze breath? Did you actually say freeze breath?"

"I know; it sounds like something from the comic books, but I tell you, Miss Lane, Superman has freeze breath!" Chief Rogers looked at the Man of Steel with admiration. "Then he flew in and rescued Smith. I was on the radio with him – he said a propane tank exploded."

"That explains the shrapnel," Lois noted. "But what was a propane tank doing in the abandoned Fleischer building?"

"Like I said, Miss Lane; arson."

Jimmy made his way to Lois' side, still snapping pictures of Superman. "He's really amazing!"

Lois nodded but said nothing. What more was there to say – Superman _was_ amazing. She was intending to interview the fire chief, but with the injured firefighter now being loaded into an ambulance, Superman was walking directly to her.

In recent days, Clark had taken to wearing large framed glasses and slicking his hair back. Now it made sense – as Superman, he wore no glasses and his hair was its normal wavy self. Apparently, hair gel could not stand up to Clark's flying.

"Miss Lane," he said cordially. "I was wondering when the Planet's star reporter would make an appearance."

Lois only nodded, standing there gawking at a man who could probably take on the entire United States Armed Forces and win. When he was Clark, dressed in his business or casual attire, she felt at ease with him. Standing here in full super regalia, he had the same awe-inspiring effect on her that he did on everyone else. She shook her head vigorously, trying to get herself out of the fog. _I have a job to do_ , she scolded herself. Lois cleared her throat and regained her reporter's instincts.

"Superman, you helped people incognito back in Smallville," she opened. "Now, you're here in Metropolis. Yesterday, you said this is your home now. Does that mean you're here to stay?"

"That's right Miss Lane," the Man of Steel replied. "I can do the most good from this city, so this is where I decided to settle. Besides, Metropolis has a certain charm that no other city possesses."

She was certain that he was alluding to her, and it made her blush. "Well … thank you." Lois looked downward and scolded herself for acknowledging his compliment, unable to stop smiling. "But Superman, what does that mean for us? Why are you here? You said you want to do good, but how? In what capacity?"

"Lois, a very special person once told me that life here was a never-ending battle. I am here to fight that battle for truth, justice, and freedom. I am here to protect the people."

His words made Lois shake her head incredulously. "You'll be fighting every elected official and the entire corporate world!"

"So be it," he replied. Then he tilted his head as though he were picking up something else that no human being could possibly hear. "Stand back," he commanded.

They did, but then he said, "A little more."

They all moved back another five feet, at which point, Superman took off, shattering the sound barrier and sending forth a shockwave that nearly felled nearly everyone. Lois looked up to see where he had gone, but Superman was already gone without a trace. Then a grin split her face.

It was brief; less than a minute, but Lois Lane had just landed the very first interview with Superman!

"I think we just scooped them all," she gloated to Jimmy.

"Yeah, even Mister Kent!"

"Clark's fighting that same never-ending battle, Jimmy; he's just doing it the way I do it. He'll get his scoops and I'm sure a Pulitzer, but Superman?" She smiled. "Superman's story is mine to tell."

-S-

Clark stopped a near car accident while in flight before making his way back to his apartment. Lena Luthor was on her way up the stairs and waiting for her one flight up were two hitmen. He had been keeping his senses attuned to Lena's heartbeat since their plan for her to infiltrate Luthor-Corp had been hatched, and as she climbed the stairs, he could hear the one of the hitmen say, "Lena's on her way up – make it quick and eliminate all witnesses."

He flew into his apartment through the window he had rigged to open at just a touch, changed into his casual clothes, and then tore down the stairwell. Coming up behind the gunmen – both wearing black fatigues and ski-masks, Clark grabbed their heads and banged them together, knocking them out.

Lena rounded the corner of the stairwell, coming into view and gasped at the sight. "Oh my God! They were here for me, weren't they?"

Clark just smiled and knocked on a neighbor's door. An older, matronly woman answered, gasping at the sight of the two gunmen laying unconscious on the floor.

"Clark, what in Heaven's name is going on out here?"

"Hello Mrs. Tinsdale," he said cordially. "I'm terribly sorry to bother you, but I just came down the stairs to get my mail and found these two rascals in the stairwell. I knocked them out, but would you please call the police while I keep watch?"

"Of course, Mister Kent; right away!"

As Mrs. Tinsdale scurried back inside to call the police, Lena looked up at Clark, her face drained of color.

"They were going to kill me! If you hadn't happened upon them …."

"I didn't happen upon them by chance," he explained. "I hope you don't mind, Lena, but I've been keeping an eye on you. As soon as I was alerted to their presence, I intervened."

"You … were able to track me? How? Did Lex put microphones on me or …."

"No, Lena. I attuned my nearing to your heartbeat."

"My … heartbeat?" Her expression transformed from one of shock and amazement to an affectionate smile, her cheeks reddening slightly. "Clark, you've been looking out for me."

"Of course, I have, Lena. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you, especially doing something inherently dangerous." He looked down at the gunmen. "As it turns out, it's a good thing that I did."

Before Lena could reply, Mrs. Tinsdale opened her door. "Yoo-hoo, Clark! The police are on the way. And kudos to you for stepping up and keeping this building safe. You, Sir, are an asset to this community, and as chairwoman of the Concerned Ladies of Metropolis, I will be sure to make an honorable mention of you at our next meeting."

"Thank you, Mrs. Tinsdale," Clark replied. "The pleasure is mine."

"Well, back to my reading. If I need a strong young man to help me out, I know just who to call!" She turned and went back inside with a, "Ta-ta!"

Clark rolled his eyes as soon as his neighbor closed the door and Lena giggled. Then she produced the diskette.

"This is the information you needed, Clark," she explained. "This has everything on it you and Miss Lane will need to nail the board to the wall. It shows the payments to those bombers, as well a lot of other payments you'll find enlightening."

Clark pocketed the diskette and nodded. "Thank you, Lena. You've put yourself in danger for this story, and for that, I am sorry."

"It was Lex's idea," she reminded him. Then she smiled up at him. "Besides, I'm always happy to help you – you know that, don't you?"

"I do, and I really appreciate it, Lena, but this went above and beyond. Lois and I will have to do something special for you."

She wrinkled her nose at this. Partly because she really did not care for Lois Lane at all, but also because it was a reminder that Clark was already romantically invested in the Planet's star reporter. No matter; Lena treasured her friendship with Clark and hoped that Lois would make him happy. She then flashed him a smile and nodded.

"I'll hold you to that, Mister Kent – Miss Lane as well."

-S-

It did not take long for the police to arrive and apprehend the two would be assassins. Clark was surprised - pleasantly, however, to see Detective Sawyer arrive with them.

"Evening, Kent – Miss Luthor," she said gruffly.

"Detective Sawyer," Clark replied, shaking the detective's hand. "Good to see you."

"You too," the detective replied. "Just glad you were able to blindside these two goons before they killed Miss Luthor. Which brings me to you."

Maggie Sawyer turned her attention to Lena Luthor.

"What brings a prominent member of Metropolis society to the Standish Arms Apartments?"

"Clark and I are close." Lena then circled her arm around Clark's, resting her head on his shoulder. "I came by to visit and spend some time with him."

Detective Sawyer raised an eyebrow. "Spend some time … like Mick Jagger alluded to on the Ed Sullivan show?"

Lena looked at the detective with puzzlement. "Who's Mick Jagger and Ed Sullivan?"

"Lead singer of the Rolling Stones," Clark explained. "Ed Sullivan hosted a variety show back in the nineteen fifties and sixties. Due to social mores of the day, the Rolling Stones were required to change the lyrics of their latest hit, 'Let's Spend the Night Together' to 'Let's Spend Some Time Together' in order to satisfy the network."

"Oh," Lena said. Then her eyes widened. "Oh! You mean …."

Detective Sawyer's stony expression gave way to a wry smile and she chuckled. "Yup, that's exactly what I meant."

Lena's hand went to her mouth and her cheeks turned a deep crimson, causing Maggie to smile and nod at the young Luthor girl.

Maggie then turned to Clark. "And how did a rookie reporter happen upon two professional hitmen at just the right time and manage to overpower them?"

"As I told Mrs. Tinsdale, I was on my way down to get my mail when I happened upon them," Clark explained. "I snuck up behind them when they were getting ready to shoot and knocked their heads together as hard as I could."

The detective sized up Clark Kent, paying close attention to his arms. Clark wore a short sleeve T-shirt, so there was no hiding his musculature. and after a few moments, she nodded. "You are pretty much a solid wall of muscle, and a former football player." She paused, and then asked, "Say, Kent, how much you bench?"

Clark shrugged. "Five-sixty."

Maggie let out a whistle. "That's like half a Miata! Ever go for the world record?"

Clark shrugged again. "Ran out of weights; five-sixty was all we had."

The detective laughed shaking her head. "Clark Joseph Kent – you're quite the curiosity. I'll be keeping an eye on you … Clark." Then she looked at them both. "You're a witness to and victim of a crime, so I'll be in contact. Lena, you should be in protective custody."

"No," Lena protested. "I need to show them that I am not afraid."

"You need to stay alive," Clark countered. "Listen to Detective Sawyer."

Lena looked down for a moment, then up at Maggie. "Very well. I will do as you advise."

"Meet me at the station," Maggie directed. "We'll take it from there."

-S-

Lois sat at her desk typing up her interview with Superman. Jimmy had taken some fantastic pictures of Superman aiding the paramedics as they tended to the injured firefighter. Superman – she knew it was just Clark in a different set of clothes, but he took her breath away. Then there was Clark himself. He was the most powerful being on the planet, yet he walked around like a regular guy, living amongst mere mortals.

His powers both awed and terrified her, but she liked him. His answers to her questions inspired her, but his friendship with the Luthors still bothered her. Lex it seemed might not be the devil his father was, but Lex was bristling with hubris. Somehow, Lois just knew that Lex's hubris would be his downfall, and that in his downfall, many would be hurt.

Out of nowhere, Clark appeared at her side, placing a floppy disc onto her desk, interrupting her thoughts.

"A gift from Lena," he declared. "She says it's more than enough to nail the board to the wall, and that it does connect the bombings to Luthor-Corp, just as you suspected."

"Clark, you're back!" She stood up and hugged him. "Thank you, Clark."

Clark held her closely, and Lois felt like she could stay in his embrace forever. He was strong, warm, and safe, like a fortress built around her. Not walls to keep her in, but a protective fortress from which she could strike out and take on the world, knowing that she always had a place to retreat to for safety.

"For what, Lois?"

"For answering my questions … about Superman."

"Ah, that." Clark smiled at this. "My pleasure, Lois. I thought you'd know best what to do with those answers."

"I do." Then she sat back down at her desk. "Now, let us see what Lena has brought us. If it's as bad as she says, then this should be a slam dunk – and if it exonerates Lex, then I'll owe her an apology."

Lois inserted the diskette into the drive and opened the file. She and Clark read, and her eyes widened as they did.

"Clark … this is bigger than I could have imagined – and I imagined quite a bit!"

"What about Lionel and Lex?"

"Seems Lionel was more of an amoral businessman than anything else. He pretty much let the board do whatever it wanted, so long as he was free to pursue his scientific and technical interests. He did want to see Metropolis revitalized and was more than okay with the gentrification efforts but was not personally involved in planning them. Looks like he was keeping tabs on the board and using this information as leverage." She looked up at Clark and sighed. "This confirms my worst fears, Clark; Lionel, bad as he was, kept the board from doing even worse. With him gone …."

"The board has free rein to do as it pleases. With the ouster of Lex and Lena, there's nothing to rein them in."

Lois nodded. "Much as I hate to say it – and I _really_ hate to say it – Lex getting control of Luthor-Corp is probably the best thing for the city right now."

Clark placed his hand on her shoulder. "You write your story and let the pieces fall where they may. It's up to Lex to wrest control of his company from the board and take it in a new direction. We can only point the way – it's up to him to take the first steps."

"Truer words were never spoken," Lois said with a grin. "An interview with Superman and tangible dirt on Luthor-Corp – this has been a very eventful day!"

"There's more," Clark noted. "They tried to have Lena killed. I stopped two hitmen who were waiting for her in my building when she was on her way to deliver the diskette."

Lois practically jumped from her seat. "Clark, is she alright?"

"Yes – I got there just in time."

"Good. I'm glad she's safe. But if they know about her getting this info, then they have to know that she was delivering it to you."

Clark nodded. "Thankfully, I'm immune to hitmen."

"Well, I'm not, Smallville, so you make damn sure you watch my back."

"I never take my eyes off of you, Lois."

The thought brought a smile to her face and Lois hugged him again. Things were about to heat up in Metropolis, but for the first time, Lois saw a light at the end of the tunnel. For the first time, Lois saw an outcome where Metropolis would be better off than it had been in years, and it was all because of Clark Kent.


	24. Chapter 24 - Return to Smallville

**Chapter 24 – Smallville**

Lex Luthor's limo arrived at the Luthor-Corp research facility outside of Smallville, Kansas. Riding in the back, Lex chided himself for always thinking of Smallville, Kansas. What other 'Smallville' would there be? He laughed at his own idiosyncrasy before exiting the vehicle as Mercy opened the door.

"We've arrived, Mister Luthor."

Lex nodded as he exited the limo, surveying the research facility that had been a home-away-from-home for most of his years in Smallville. He smiled at the sight as fond memories returned to the forefront of his mind. He took a few moments to just stand and admire the building, pondering what it represented.

It was here that Lex's love of science had been nurtured. It was here that his father and the researchers had taken a young Lex Luthor under their wing and made him a part of their world. Lex loved this place as surely as Clark loved his parents old farm.

Finally, he looked at Mercy. "This is where it all began. Come – I'll show you."

"Of course, Mister Luthor."

"Lex," he corrected.

Mercy shook her head. "Not when I'm on the job, Mister Luthor."

Lex could hardly fault her professionalism. He smiled and said, "Then we'll have to spend more time together off the job." His comment had no hidden meaning, but Mercy took it very differently.

"Your safety is paramount, sir. As flattering as your offer is, I feel that I would be doing you a disservice if I allowed our relationship to go beyond professional."

Had he just inadvertently flirted with his bodyguard? He had few friends, and Mercy was one of the few whose companionship he actually liked. She was not a brilliant scientist or a high I.Q. academic, but she was certainly not stupid. The woman was capable and unswervingly loyal, traits that Lex admired. And she was attractive. Not in that girlish, delicate manner that Lena had, but in a robust, powerful way. Her body was lean and toned, and her platinum hair cut short and purposeful, framing a face with strong features.

Perhaps he had been flirting with her. Now he wished Clark were here to serve as – what did they call it back in high school? – ah, yes; his wingman.

Clark knew how to talk to people and how to steer conversations where he wanted them to go, a talent that had eluded Lex, who tended to steer conversations by monopolizing them. It kept him in control, but rarely yielded any personal insights. Now he wondered if Mercy felt the same way, but demurred out of professionalism, or if he had just crossed some professional line and turned her off. Clark would know, and if the latter, Clark would know how to rectify the situation.

"I do apologize if I have crossed any lines," Lex said as they walked through the front door of the facility, the receptionist and security guards all treating him like royalty in spite of his temporary ouster. "I did not mean to offend – I genuinely value your friendship."

"Just my friendship?" She sounded almost disappointed. "You have never crossed any lines with me, Mister Luthor, but I truly appreciate your kindness in this regard."

Bullet dodged. When he got back to Metropolis, he would have to talk to Clark and formulate a plan to develop his relationship with Ms. Graves beyond just the professional. In the meantime, he had to meet with Doctor Lang and find out just what urgent matter demanded his attention – and why the board had not been informed.

-S-

Doctor Lang's laboratory was in the bowels of the facility, and had he not been here before, Lex was not certain that he would have been able to find it without getting lost. The floorplans of the building did match the lower levels where Lang's lab was located, and the hallways were convoluted, very unlike what Lex was accustomed to.

He raised his hand to knock at Lang's door, but the door opened before he had the chance, revealing Doctor Lang.

"You were to come alone," the disheveled looking red-haired scientist insisted.

"You neglected to tell me that," Lex noted with annoyance.

"It was implicit in what I said when I called," Lang protested. "If you could not deduce this from the content …."

"Mercy can be trusted," Lex countered. "Besides, I keep no secrets from her."

This caused Lex's bodyguard to look at him abruptly, her left eyebrow raised in surprise, but she said nothing. Lang, however, did not seem to notice her reaction, and stood aside, motioning them to enter.

"Quickly, quickly," the scientist insisted. As soon as Lex and Mercy were inside, Lang locked the door and flipped a switch on the wall. "There – not only is the room soundproofed, but this will ensure that our voices are canceled out in the event that there is any listening equipment hidden away.

The lab was large, about the twenty foot by fifteen foot, and with a fifteen-foot high ceiling. In one corner was a raised platform, atop which stood a green and purple mech suit. On the helm and chest of the mech suit was a pattern of three silver discs connected by silver conduit lines in the shape of an inverted triangle. The conduit connected the upper corners to the bottom corner, leaving the top side open.

Near the raised platform was a pedestal, atop which rested an alien looking device made of similar metal to the mech suit. Floating about eight inches above the alien looking device, suspended as if in midair, was an object made of a silvery metal in the shape of three discs. The rest of the room was dominated by racks and racks of computer servers.

Lex and Mercy looked at each other, then Lex looked back at the suit and the pedestal. Then he looked back at his bodyguard and nodded.

Mercy produced a wand and began going about the room while Lex stood patiently. After a few minutes, she returned to Lex's side. "The room is free of bugs."

Lang let out a deep sigh of relief. "Thank heaven for that!" Then he motioned for them to follow and walked to the pedestal. "Lex, this is going to change everything."

"Why did you not inform the board?" Lex then held up a hand reassuring the scientist. "Not that I'm complaining, but I've been ousted, albeit temporarily – as such, I should not even be here."

Lang nodded. "I know, Lex, but your father left me instructions that in the event of his death, only you were to be told of this. If anything had happened to you, Clark Kent was to be informed."

"Clark Kent?"

Mercy's raised voice question mirrored Lex's own thoughts, though he was certain that his questions were very different from those of his bodyguard. Could Lionel Luthor have known about Clark Kent's powers?

"Yes, Clark Kent," Lang confirmed. "Though Lionel was skeptical, I believe the Kent boy may hold the key."

"Begging your pardon," Mercy interjected, "but how does a big farm-boy factor into this discovery – whatever it is?"

"This," Doctor Lang declared proudly, "is a Kryptonian supercomputer and AI that Lionel codenamed Braniac."

"Kryptonian?" Lex and Mercy voiced the question in unison, looking at each other as the word left their mouths.

"Allow me to demonstrate," Lang said. Then he removed a greenish crystal from a pocket in his lab coat and placed it into a receptacle in the Kryptonian computer. As soon as the crystal slid into place, the three silvery discs floated up another three feet, and beneath them was projected a holographic humanoid head, the discs seeming to be worn atop its head. Lex could not discern the gender, but he believed the bald image to be that of a male.

"Salutations, Lex Luthor – I am Vril Dox; that which your father has named Brainiac. I have been waiting for you."

"Be careful, Mister Luthor," Mercy warned. "I don't trust it."

"Trust must be established," Vril Dox declared. "Remember that it is you who hold me in your laboratory, not the other way around. I am a being of superior intellect, like yourself, Lex Luthor. Together, we can elevate the people of this world."

Lex nodded. It sounded enticing, but he had questions. "Tell me about Kryptonia."

"Krypton," Dox corrected. "It was the home of the most highly evolved humanoids in galactic history, and home to the most technologically advanced civilization ever founded."

"What happened to this grand civilization," Lex asked, still skeptical.

"Kryton's sister planet, Daxam," Dox informed. "They were similarly advanced technologically, but not as intellectually evolved. They focused on weapons of war, while Krypton focused on the advancement of science. Eventually, they built a bomb that was powerful enough to destroy a planet. They planted it in Krypton's core and detonated it, wiping this proud race from the face of the galaxy."

Lex nodded again. This was familiar to him. Lesser people always used whatever means available to them to hold back or do injury to the more intelligent Lex. Lionel had faced this as well, and so had Lena. Vril Dox, an advanced artificial intelligence, surely understood – Dox's creators had been destroyed by such cretins after all. With Kryptonian technology at his command, Lex could stand with Clark, and the two of them could take on their lesser.

"Tell me about the mech suit," Lex directed. "It looks like a weapon of war."

"Though not focused on war, Krypton's council was not foolish," Dox explained. "Defense against the Daxamites was paramount. It is a personal combat suit capable of full flight, aerial combat, and ground fighting. Its weaponry is more advanced than anything designed by your species and it is virtually indestructible. With it, your physical powers would match your intellectual powers. You would be superhuman."

Mercy gasped. "No one should have that kind of power!"

"A Kryptonian on Earth would have that kind of power," Braniac noted. "It would take many of your years – twenty at least to absorb your sun's radiation – but such a being would be a superman."

Lex and Mercy looked at each other. He could see in her eyes that she had made the connection. Then she verbalized her thoughts and confirmed that she had indeed figured it out.

"Clark Kent – he's Superman … isn't he?"

"This suit would make Lex his equal," Doctor Lang exclaimed excitedly. Then he sighed and added, "Unfortunately, it lacks the necessary power supply."

"Why green and purple?" Lex asked.

"Kryptonite," Vril Dox explained. "It is the hardest substance in the known galaxies. Green is it's naturally occurring hue under a yellow sun. There was not enough to make the entire suit, so it was mixed with titanium, and the resulting alloy is purple."

Satisfied with the answer, Lex continued. "What does it need to power it?"

"Kryptonium," Dox replied. "This radioactive element powered Krypton's reactors and brought energy to the entire planet. Krypton's leading scientist, Jor El, utilized such a reactor in his experimental star drive."

"If only we knew where to find such a drive," Doctor Lang lamented.

Lex suddenly knew where to get Kryptonium. He did not know the exact location, but he was certain that Clark did. Clark was Kryptonian – of that Lex was certain. He had to come to Earth in something, and it was probably a ship powered by this Jor-El's experimental star drive. With this suit operational, Lex would no longer have to sit on the sidelines. He could stand with Clark, and the two of them could change the world.

"I can get it," Lex declared triumphantly.

"If you can indeed do this," Vril Dox said, "then you must tell me the location of the source."

Lex shook his head. "Sorry; I don't reveal all of my professional secrets."

"Of course, Mister Luthor," Doctor Lang said Patronizingly. "We would never ask you to do such a thing! Once you've obtained a sample of the Kryptonium, we can work toward powering the suit."

"How long will it work on a fresh sample?" Lex asked as he eyed the suit.

"Assuming normal power draw," Dox replied, "approximately one hundred of your years."

"More than enough time," Lex said confidently.

"That assumes that you can get the sample in a reasonably short amount of time," Lang noted. "As of yet, you're ability is untested and your resources are, shall we say, lacking. Now, if Lionel had said he could obtain a sample …."

Lex spun on the older scientist. "You doubt me? You doubt my ability? I will prove to you that I am ten times the man my father was!"

Mercy Graves looked at Lex in horror. This was not a good idea, and she knew it. She looked at Braniac and Doctor Lang and scowled. They wanted something, something Lex would probably not approve of. Coming out and asking Lex directly would make him suspicious, so they had opted to manipulate Lionel's heir by alternately appealing to and attacking his ego. More importantly, they wanted whatever it was they were after as soon as they could get their hands on it.

Mercy knew exactly what they were doing. Dox was probably manipulating Lang – he seemed a bit of a dullard for a scientist. Lex's ego was proving to be his downfall, and Braniac was playing him masterfully. She could hardly believe that Lex was falling for such an obvious manipulation. Mercy had to wait until they were out of this building and alone before she could warn him – Brainiac might not allow her to live if she did so carelessly.

The security professional cared about Lex. His flirtation seemed unintentional, and she hated to rebuff him, but Mercy Graves was nothing if not professional, and on the job, she had to keep things professional. Later, she would take Lex up on his offer to spend time together off the clock. She had to get him alone soon to warn him. If she waited until they got back to Metropolis, it would be too late. She only hoped that it was not too late already.


	25. Chapter 25 - Return to Smallville

**Chapter 25 – Smallville**

As Clark drove their rental car – a Buick Century – across the Pottawatome Creek Bridge, Lois leaned across the car's bench seat and kissed his cheek. Then she sat back in her seat and smiled as she gazed at him. Clark smiled back at her, though her show of affection surprised him. He stole a glance in her direction and admired her.

Lois had worn jeans and a tank top with a flannel shirt over top, but the car was warm enough that she had shed the flannel. Her head was capped by the Metropolis Meteors ball cap she had been wearing six years ago.

In just a tank top, Lois' arms were on display. Clark liked that her arms were toned and muscular. Her shoulders were likewise cut and defined. Clearly, Lois Lane took working out very seriously. She reminded him more of a female boxer than a news reporter.

"What brought that on?"

"This is where we first met," Lois reminded him. "You saved my life and my professional career, you know."

He nodded. "Your life, yes. Your career? That was all you, Lois."

"Without your story, I would have probably been done," she lamented.

"My story was nothing without the right reporter," Clark reminded her. "Anyone could have come out here, but not just anyone could have gotten it right. That was all you."

She grinned at this. "Well, I am the best in the business – so you'd better be taking notes, Smallville."

It was Clark's turn to grin. "I have eidetic memory, Lois – no notetaking necessary." Then he took the conversation in a more serious direction. "Speaking of reporting, how are we going to do this? I'm Superman, Lois – it would be unethical of me to investigate, and you already know who I am and what I'm about."

"Not everything," she reminded him. "I still don't know what you truly are. I learned the other day that you have freeze breath too – is that true?"

"I don't call it that, but yes; I can exhale a blast of super cooled air."

Lois pondered for a moment, and then her face lit up. "Clark, you can talk to me as Superman. We're riding around in this car – why not make good use of the time together?"

"That's actually a good idea, Lois. As Superman, I can be anywhere I want as fast as I want to be, so I'll just be sure to put in an appearance here so that you'll have a publicly verifiable sighting."

"Good thinking, Clark," Lois said enthusiastically. "Let's get started!"

Clark shrugged. They had enough time before arriving at home. "Fire away."

Lois excitement gave way to quiet hesitation. Clark was being cooperative, but now that she was about to get the answers she had been longing for, Lois was not so sure that she really wanted to know. What if the answers were troubling? Yes, she had to report the truth, but things had been so bad for so long, and things were finally going well. Did she really want to jinx it by poking the proverbial bear?

She chided herself; poking bears is what Lois did best, and it was an integral part of her job. There was no getting around this; Lois Lane had to know the truth about Superman – the truth about Clark.

"What are you?"

Clark drove in silence for a few moments before he answered, making Lois wonder if he too thought this might not be such a good idea. Then, he broke the silence, and what he said blew Lois' mind.

"I was raised in Smallville Kansas, given the name Clark Kent by my parents," he began. "But that is not who I am. I am Kal-El of the House of El, and I was born in another star system, in another galaxy in fact. I am from the planet Krypton, which was located in the Andromeda Galaxy.

Lois' eyes widened. "The … Andromeda Galaxy?"

Clark nodded.

"Wait a minute." Lois shook her head, still reeling from this revelation. "You said _was_."

Clark nodded again. "My home world was destroyed in a cataclysmic event, and my parents sent me here as an infant in an experimental starship."

"Hold on," Lois blurted out, "you said you were sent as an infant! How could you possibly know any of this?"

"Records were sent with my ship," Clark replied. "The ship also contained a holographic AI representation of my Kryptonian mother, Lara Lor Von, who was able to answer questions and tutor me regarding things Kryptonian."

"Let me guess," Lois said testily. "The ship and the AI self destructed as soon as you received this message."

"Nope. I was planning to show you the ship and the AI when we get to my parents' house."

Lois was silent again. She had just put her foot in her mouth, going from warm and friendly to angry and skeptical in the space of a few seconds. _What is the matter with me?_ She shook her head. She knew Clark was not human – at least not like any human she had ever met – so why should an extraterrestrial origin be so hard for her to accept? Government funded scientific experimentation had been her own theory since she first met Clark as the Smallville Superboy, and it seemed that she had become so attached to this answer that the idea that he was something more was like a bucket of cold water being thrown onto her.

"I'm sorry, Clark; I can be quick tempered and sometimes … I jump to conclusions. It's in my nature to second guess everyone." Lois chuckled. "Guess that's why I became a reporter."

Clark simply shrugged and said, "It's a lot to take in."

 _Good_ , she thought. _He's not the type to stay angry or miffed_.

"Chloe suggested something to that effect – she mentioned space rocks falling in Smallville. Apparently either the government or Luthor-Corp has harvested all of them." Then her thoughts drifted to Clark – no, Kal-El's – homeworld.

"What destroyed Krypton?"

"I don't know," Clark replied. "Lara Lor-Von did not tell me – only that my Kryptonian father, Jor El, had enough warning to prep the ship. I'm not even certain that she knew. I always assumed that it was some kind of natural disaster, or maybe the planet was hit by a comet or something."

"Your parents must have been … really smart if they were building starships in their living room," Lois noted. "What do you know about them?"

"Only that Jor-El was Krypton's leading scientist and that Lara was an astronaut and served in the equivalent of Krypton's air force. Beyond that, I only know that they loved me and wanted me to be safe."

"What are the limits of your powers, Clark?"

He shrugged again. "I don't know, Lois. I've never encountered anything that I could not lift, and I've never encountered anything from Earth that could hurt me. I've flown my 'fastest' on several occasions, each time being faster than the last time. You already know that I have enhanced senses."

Reminders of his ability to see through solid objects came to mind once again. So far, this interview had been serious. Now that she had gotten over the initial shock of him being an extraterrestrial, she decided to have some fun.

"What color underwear do I have on?"

Clark glanced over and casually said, "Pink."

Lois felt her face flush as she wondered if he may have inadvertently looked past her underwear.

"Do you like pink?"

"I like pink very much, Lois," Clark assured.

Then a thought came to her. "Clark, I had thought that your vision was like … X-Ray vision, but you can see in color."

"Of course, I can." Then he added. "I can focus my eyes to see details on a microscopic level, or to see great distances. I can also combine these powers, allowing me to see through something far away and examine the object behind it at a microscopic level. I can also see in the infrared spectrum, allowing me to pick out recent after images or the heat trail from a vehicle. Coupled with my hearing, I can get a complete picture of things going on miles away."

Lois' jaw dropped. "That's … that's more than the most sophisticated surveillance equipment in existence is capable of!"

"You called me Superman for a reason, Lois."

"That I did," she agreed. "That I did." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "But you're so much more than that."


	26. Chapter 26 - Return to Smallville

**Chapter 26 - Smallville**

Lex Luthor sat in what had been his father's office in the Smallville Luthor-Corp facility. Compared to Luthor-Corp's Metropolis facility, this place was quaint. Still, he was in command here in spite of his temporary ouster. It seemed as though the entire place operated independently of Metropolis, and as far as the staff here was concerned, only the Luthors mattered.

This easy acceptance and access bothered Mercy, but Lex was used to small town life. People here were loyal to people, not to distant boards in crime ridden coastal cities. Mercy was sometimes too careful for her own good. This, however, was the least of Lex's concerns at the moment.

Right now, Clark was still not answering his phone, either at home or at the office. Lex did not think that Clark was dodging him; the young reporter's job kept him away from both home and desk for hours at a time. Lex however, could not wait for Clark's response. Time was of the essence, and Lex could not afford to remain in Smallville for more than a week, and this needed to be done by then.

He had even tried ringing Lois Lane's desk, but to no avail. Lena had no idea where Clark was, though she assured Lex that the rookie reporter was still watching out for her. Even with Lena's assurance, Lex had sent Mercy back to Metropolis to keep Lena safe. His sister was under police protection and had personal bodyguards, but none of them could be trusted as far as he was concerned.

Knowing that Lena was safe, Lex's mind was no longer preoccupied with her safety or Mercy's insistence on caution. Lex could move forward full steam ahead – only Clark was holding him back. With all avenues for contacting Kent in a timely manner exhausted, Lex decided to move.

Vril Dox was the key to Lex's success – Dox and that suit. But without Kryptonium, the suit was useless, and Lex knew that Clark could deliver it to him. Somehow, Clark had gotten to Smallville, and that meant that Clark had a ship somewhere. Deductive reasoning brought Lex to the conclusion that it was in the Kent's barn, most likely beneath the floor where nobody would think to look for it unless they knew it existed.

There would be no way to extract it from the farm without alerting Ma and Pa Kent, even if they did so in the middle of the night. Clark would never forgive Lex for the theft of the craft, but if Lex could activate the suit, he believed that Clark would at least understand.

If Clark did not understand, then Lex would make him understand.


	27. Chapter 27 - Return to Smallville

**Chapter 27 – Smallville**

Martha Kent opened the door, revealing her son and Lois Lane, Chloe Sullivan's cousin and Clark's new coworker. Lois and Clark's luggage were light, and Clark carried it for them both.

"Hi, Ma – this is my coworker and mentor, Lois Lane."

Lois was not at all what Martha had expected based on photos of the Planet's star reporter. Instead of the professionally attired ace reporter, Lois was wearing a tank-top and dungarees, a plaid flannel shirt tied around her waist. A baseball cap topped Lois' somewhat disheveled hair, and up close, the freckle faced, button nosed girl looked hardly any older than Clark.

Green eyes and auburn hair showed the Lane woman's Irish ancestry, and her athletic build and toned arms kept her from wilting visually while standing next to Clark, who was a six-foot four-inch wall of muscle.

Lois waved and smiled. "Hi."

"Land sakes," Martha cried out, hugging Clark tightly. "You're a sight for sore eyes, son!" Then she turned to Lois. "Welcome to our home, Miss Lane! Come right on in an' make yerself at home!"

Jonathan came in from the back of the house and joined them, still wearing his coveralls. He offered Clark a handshake and Lois a smile.

"Welcome home, Son. Y'all are just in time; Ma just baked two of her famous apple pies."

"I could smell them from the Pottawatome Creek Bridge, Pa. I'll take my stuff to my room and put Lois' bags in the guest room and join you."

Martha noticed for the first time, just how dissimilar her son was to she and Jonathan. Not only was he much larger, but he spoke with more of a midwestern accent and carried himself like an urban professional rather than a farmer. At first, she thought the city had changed him, but then she realized that he had always been this way. It was just another reminder that he really was not hers.

-S-

Lois Lane sat across from Martha Kent as she and the Kents enjoyed Ma Kent's famous apple pie and ice cream. The pie was amazing, and more than worthy of the moniker, "famous." It reminded Lois of her own mother's baking back when the Lane girls were young – back before Sam Lane's military career and belligerent attitudes drove he and Lois' mother apart.

"So, Lois," Martha opened, "what's it like being a top reporter in the big city?"

"All I see is bad news," Lois lamented. "It's tough, dog eat dog, and depressing." Then she smiled and looked over at Clark. "Until Clark showed up." Lois touched Clark's arm, taking a moment to gaze at him.

Martha Kent smiled the kind of smile mothers had when a girl they approved of was sweet on their boy, but Jonathan Kent remained reserved.

"Clark," Pa Kent asked, "or Superman?"

"Both," Lois said without hesitation. "I have to admit, I was worried at first – Clark's friendship with Lex was troubling, but it soon became clear that Clark is his own man."

Ma and Pa Kent looked at each other, exchanging knowing glances, and then looked back at Clark.

"She knows," Clark assured.

"That's what we were afraid of, "Jonathan replied. "Meanin' no offense to you, Lois, but you represent yet another person who knows Clark's secret. If too many people know …."

"Well, who else knows?" Lois asked. "I mean, besides Lana, Chloe, Lex, and Lena?"

"Just them," Jonathan confirmed. "But both you, Lex and Lena have connections to large companies that would use our son for their own gain."

"The Daily Planet would never use Clark," Lois said as firmly as she could without being rude.

"Lois is right, Pa," Clark added. "Besides, Lois is the only one at the Planet who knows, and she's proven to be beyond trustworthy."

"All the same," Jonathan continued, "it makes a man nervous. This is information that people will kill to get."

Lois nodded. "That is why I only print a fraction of what I actually know. The world needs Superman. They don't need all the information, but they need to know that he's here and that he's here to help."

"Lex seems to have kept Clark's secret," Ma Kent noted. "Lena too. Maybe we're fretting a bit too much, Jonathan?"

"Lex concerns me more than Lois," Jonathan confessed.

"So, you think he's dirty," Lois half said, half asked.

"I think Lex thinks that Lex knows best," Jonathan noted, "and will do whatever he thinks is best for the rest of us. And I've learned that what Lex thinks is best isn't always what Clark thinks is best."

"But … Lex saved your home," Lois interjected. "At least to hear Clark tell it."

Ma Kent nodded. "Indeed, he did; he got his father to look into it. I'll never forget that kindness. This house was a home for Lex and Lena too. They're good kids, Lois; we just worry about Lex – his attitudes about people are … well, let's just say they're not what ours are."

Lois was glad to see that the Kents had not been fully taken in by the Luthor family veneer of good-heartedness, though it was clear that Clark's parents had affection for the Luthor children.

"I think maybe it's time Lois sees for herself just what my secret entails," Clark said as he stood, holding out his hand for Lois to take. "I've told her, but seeing is believing, so to speak."

-S-

Lois followed Clark into the Kent's barn and watched as Clark lifted the big farm tractor with one hand and opened a wooden door in the floor. He set the tractor down and motioned for Lois to descend the ladder into the pit beneath the floor.

"After you, Miss Lane."

Lois nodded as she climbed down the ladder, only to find herself confronted with an alien spacecraft, the 'S' shaped glyph of Superman emblazoned on the nose of the craft. It was then that she realized that it was not really an 'S'; it merely resembled one. She touched the craft, its greenish metal cool to the touch. A hand print in the side of the craft looked like it had been made by Clark. She placed her hand into it, reminded once again of how much smaller she was than Clark Kent – no, not Clark Kent; Kal El.

"It really does exist," Lois gasped as she ran her hands along the fuselage of the craft. She noticed that the wings of the craft were gone, torn away on entry into Earth's atmosphere. She imagined that this was the source of the strange space metal of which Chloe had come into possession.

"What powers it?"

"I don't know," Clark confessed as he joined her in the pit. "This is the one thing I can't see through; this … Kryptonite."

"It's the one thing that can cut you too, isn't it?"

Clark nodded. "It's harder than a diamond."

"Have you ever tried opening it?"

He shook his head. "Not here. The fuel could be radioactive, and I have no place to take this ship to properly examine it."

"Why not Lex's labs? I'm sure he would gladly help you."

Clark shook his head. "I trust Lex, Lois, but not the board. Best to protect him, especially while they're still in control."

"After I put out my story about the board, they'll all be in prison," Lois spat.

"Still, Lex is not as in control as he likes to think he is. Also, this is my mystery to unravel. Lex has his own."

"Fair enough," Lois conceded. "However, if Chloe is correct, Luthor-Corp has already gotten most, if not all of the Kryptonite."

"Such a metal in the wrong hands could be dangerous, but not as much as an alien reactor."

"Let's keep this our little secret then, Clark."

"Agreed."

Lois looked up at him, now seeing him as Kal-El. She reached up and removed his glasses. For a moment, she just admired him, looking up, her lips slightly parted.

"I know you don't really need them, Clark; they'll just get in the way."

He nodded, and the two of them kissed for the first time. It was a long, warm, passionate kiss, and at first, Lois thought he might take things further. Her body was urging her to go further, and she was certain that his was as well.

Instead, their lips parted, Lois and Clark holding each other and gazing into one another's eyes.

"That was amazing, Clark." Then she kissed him again. "We could do more … if you want."

"I do, Lois, but I don't think we should – not yet."

He looked like he ached to go further with her, and Lois felt the same, but at the same time, she rather liked that he was hesitant – the floor of the pit under the barn hardly looked comfortable, and it was a bit early in their relationship – yes, she decided; it was a relationship – to take things all the way.

"When the time is right." Lois' voice was barely more than a whisper, but she knew that Clark could hear her and could pick up on all of the undertones of her voice.

For his part, Clark remained silent. Things with Lois had escalated fast. For the first time, he was not afraid of hurting his partner – his mother's advice about letting the woman lead was still at the forefront of his mind – but still, he wanted to wait and savor their time getting to know each other before things got physical. He wanted to be intellectually and emotionally intimate with Lois before being physically intimate.

Lois smiled up at him. "More apple pie?"

Clark nodded. "More is good."

Lois ascended the ladder gracefully, Clark right behind her. The two of them walked back to the farmhouse hand in hand. Both of them knew it. This was it; they had each found the one. Somehow, no matter what, they both knew that it would be Lois and Clark for the rest of their lives together.


	28. Chapter 28 - Return to Smallville

**Chapter 28 – Smallville**

Dinner at the Kent farm was a joyous affair. Martha and Jonathan loved Lois – Martha right away, while Jonathan warmed up to her soon after Lois and Clark returned from the barn hand in hand.

For Lois, whose recollection of family dinners was filled with memories of her father verbally abusing her mother along with Lois and Lucy. As a result, the two of them barely spoke, while Lucy refused to have any contact with the man at all.

By contrast, the Kents were loving and warm. It was plain to see that Martha and Jonathan were still in love after more than thirty years together, and it was equally clear that they had a very healthy, loving relationship with their son. It was a breath of fresh air … and it was a little daunting; could Lois live up to the example set by Clark's parents? She was quick tempered at times, and knew that in many ways, she took after her father.

She and Clark were falling in love, but at one time, so too were Sam Lane and Ellen Burke, their love soured and turned to bitterness because of Sam Lane. Knowing that she shared many of her father's personality traits, Lois wondered if she would somehow wreck her relationship with Clark the way her father had with her mother.

Not only that, Sam Lane was a general in the United States Army. How would he feel about his daughter dating a space alien? For that matter, how did he feel about Superman? Lois had no solid answers but knew her father well enough to suspect that the idea of a super powered hero flying around must gall him to no end.

The phone rang, interrupting Lois' thoughts. Ma Kent jumped up from the table to answer it.

"It's probably Lana's mom," Martha said with a laugh. "Hello – oh, of course, Mister White; she's right here." Ma Kent turned to Lois. "Perry White is on the phone – says he needs to speak to you pronto."

Lois looked at Clark and mouthed, 'listen' before taking the receiver from Martha.

"What's up, Chief?"

" _Lane, that information you and Clark gave to Detective Sawyer – is there a reason you haven't turned in a story to go with it?_ "

"Yeah, Chief; you sent me to Smallville – over my objections, might I add," she groused. "Why?"

" _Because Luthor-Corp's entire board was just arrested, and we're the only paper with nobody on the story_."

"You sent me to Smallville, Chief," Lois reiterated. "You also sent Kent. He may not be a veteran, but he's still more than capable of covering that story. Besides, you can't tell me that you literally have nobody to cover it."

"I put Weston on it, but he's barely more than a glorified coffee boy! I need you and Kent back here on the double!"

Clark rolled his eyes as Lois sighed. "Alright, Chief – we'll be on a plane tomorrow. Lucky for you, I hit pay-dirt while I was here."

"That's what I pay you for, Lane. Be on that plane first thing!"

Perry hung up and Lois looked up at the ceiling, letting out a sigh of exasperation. It was a good thing she had a real interview with Superman to return to the Planet with – she owed Clark big on that one.

"Guess we're flying home tomorrow," Clark said. Then he suddenly looked alarmed. "Chemical train is about derail!"

Before Lois could reply, Clark was gone. At least now, Superman had made a public appearance in Smallville. Now, Lois had to get there and cover it. She looked at Ma and Pa Kent, shrugged and smiled. "Duty calls."

"Good luck," Jonathan and Martha called as Lois ran out to her car.

Once Lois was gone, Ma and Pa Kent looked at each other and grinned.

"Bout time our boy found himself a good woman," Jonathan remarked.

"And she's so perfect for him," Martha exclaimed. "Their lives are filled with dashing about and chasing after this, that or the other. She may not have powers, but that she gets."

"I really like that girl," Jonathan remarked. "Too bad they're leaving in the morning."

Before Martha could respond, the kitchen window glass was shattered by a thrown canister, which spewed some kind of gas into the room. Neither could speak before being overcome by the vapors that filled the room.


	29. Chapter 29 - Return to Smallville

**Chapter 29 – Smallville**

"It was right where you predicted it to be, Mister Luthor." John Corben, part of Luthor-Corp Security, stood at attention as if in the presence of a general.

Lex nodded. "I trust you were able to take it without any incident?"

"None whatsoever, Sir. We used a sleeping agent on the Kents."

"I trust that they were already asleep when you deployed the drone," Lex half said rhetorically.

"No, Sir – they were in their kitchen. We fired the gas grenade into the …."

"You did what?" Lex was livid. "You mean you didn't use the sleeping agent I supplied to you?"

"It put them to sleep, Sir."

Corben was visibly puzzled. It was a reminder to Lex that lesser minds were prone to lesser results.

"Yes, and now they'll wake up knowing they were gassed, complete with a spent gas grenade in their kitchen … unless you thought to go in and remove that evidence."

"No, Sir, but who cares? It isn't like Luthor-Corp made the grenade, so it won't come back on you. We got the rocket."

Lex got right up in Corben's face. "I care."

Though Corben was a larger, heavier man, Lex had grown tall enough that he did not have to look up at the six-foot security officer. Much to his surprise, Corben actually recoiled slightly.

"But …."

"You do realize that the Kents are friends of mine. I gave you orders to use a mild sleeping agent, and to deliver it via a remote drone, not a grenade."

Corben shrugged. "We use gas grenades all the time. What's the big deal?"

Lex could hardly contain his anger. "Because, you dolt, the sleeping agent I had prepared was specially formulated to the Kents! They would go to sleep and awaken with no after effects. Instead, you fired a grenade into Martha's kitchen and blasted them with whatever sleeping agent you happened to have on hand!"

"We had to act fast; they had guests – their son and the Lane woman from the Planet I think. We heard a loud explosion overhead and then they took off in their rental, probably to cover it. Turned out there was a near derailment and Superman showed up to stop it. Figured they'd be back after they covered it, so we didn't have time to do things all fancy."

Lex's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. If Clark and Lois were in Smallville, it would explain why they had not returned his calls; with Lois involved, they were on assignment – most likely covering Superman. With Lois having covered the Smallville Superboy story and Clark being from Smallville, sending them here would be Perry's most logical move.

"Clark is in town?"

Corben still looked confused, but Lex was done trying to explain himself to this dullard.

"Get out of my sight!"

"Sir?"

"He and Lane will figure out it me that was behind it!" This was just getting worse and worse. It was time for Lex to cut his losses. "You're fired!"

"You can't fire me," Corben protested. "I have a contract!"

"Of which you are now in breach," Lex reminded him. "I have no place in my organization for dullards who cannot follow simple instructions. You've been paid – now, get out!"

Corben looked like he was about to attack Lex, but instead, he glared and left. With a backward glance, he called back, "This isn't over, Luthor!"

What a disaster. At least he had the starship. Hopefully, Doctor Lang could extract the Kryptonium from the vessel without any difficulties.

Lex's thoughts drifted back to the Kents. What if they had collapsed and hit their heads? What if the gas had some ill effect on them? Martha and Jonathan were fairly healthy, but they were not young, and Jonathan had allergies to certain medicines and anesthesia. Lex had gotten copies of their medical records and had specially prepared a solution that was tailor made for the Kents, guaranteeing that they would awaken rested and refreshed from a long night's sleep. Instead, Corben just blasted them with whatever he happened on hand.

Hopefully, the Kents would be alright and Clark would merely be upset. If something had happened to Clark's parents, Lex had no idea what his friend would do. He had never seen Clark lose his temper, not even once and not even close. If harm came to friends or family, Lex knew that Clark would get to the bottom of it and find all responsible – and then all hell would break loose.

There would be no hiding Lex's involvement either. Kent's Kryptonian mind was as keen as Lex's, possibly even keener. He would put the pieces together and trace it back to Lex. Even without personal involvement, even with orders to do things in a way that would be harmless to Martha and Jonathan, it was Lex's directives that put everything into motion.

Clark was the most forgiving soul Lex knew, but even Clark's forgiveness had its limits, of that Lex was certain – everyone's forgiveness did.

With Clark and Lois in town, Lex had to extract a sample of the Kryptonium and return the starship to Clark before any more damage was done. He could not imagine their friendship surviving this. Lex shook his head. This was a disaster. If he had any hair left, he would have pulled it out.

"If only I had waited for him to call me back."


	30. Chapter 30 - Return to Smallville

**Chapter 30 – Smallville**

Lois Lane arrived at the sight of the near derailment. It was not clear to Lois what had actually happened, but she saw the aftermath. The massive train was stopped, the front of the engine marked with two large hand prints from where Superman had stopped the train. Lights from emergency vehicles flashed from the other side of the train, making it look as though the massive machine was being lit up from behind. Somehow, he had stopped it without causing it to derail.

Lois got out of the rental car and walked to the train, examining the hand prints. They were deep, nearly a foot, and she could see the track deformed where Clark had dug his feet into the rails. Lois looked at the train and as she looked down its length, she realized that in the twilight, she could not see the end. Her eyes widened. A train, particularly one that long, weighed thousands of tons, possibly hundreds of thousands of tons, and often took more than a mile to come to a full stop. Superman had brought the train to a halt in perhaps a few dozen yards.

"More powerful than a locomotive," she gasped.

She walked around to the other side of the train and saw emergency vehicles on hand and Superman standing vigil over paramedics helping what looked to be an unconscious engineer.

"He'll live, Superman," one of the paramedics said. "Thanks to you."

Superman nodded. Then, he spied Lois and excused himself from the gaggle of first responders who stood gaping at him, heading straight for the Planet's star reporter.

"Miss Lane," he said with a smile. "You're a long way from Metropolis."

"You too, Big Blue."

"Touche," Superman conceded with a grin. "Engineer had a heart attack – train would never have slowed before it hit the curve."

Lois just gaped at him. Superman – even though she knew it was just Clark in a different set of clothes – looked like a powerful sentinel forged from solid steel, his frame illuminated by the pulsating lights of the emergency vehicles. Lois tried to factor in how much counterforce it would take to slow a train of this size in such a short distance and gave up – algebra was never her strong suit. But the amount of force required had to be immense. She could imagine no man-made machinery capable of generating anything resembling that magnitude of power. Short of a comet striking the planet, Lois could imagine no natural force that powerful either.

He looked like he was about to say something to her, but he froze, looking to the east. He then looked at Lois and said, "Home," before taking off, shattering the sound barrier.

-S-

Clark was back home and in his civilian clothes in an instant and found his parents laying unconscious on the kitchen floor. A gas grenade had been fired into the room through the back window, rendering his parents unconscious. He checked their vitals – his mom's signs were fine, but his father had no pulse and was not breathing.

He called 911 immediately, thankful for his parents' phone having a speaker function. Clark began CPR as the phone rang.

"911," the operator said, her voice familiar. "Do you need police, fire, or ambulance assistance?"

"Lana, is that you?"

"Clark?"

"Ambulance and police," he said. "Yes, it's me. Send them to the farmhouse – someone fired a gas grenade into the house! Ma's unconscious but breathing. Pa isn't breathing and has no pulse. I'm doing CPR, but I'm not getting anywhere – he may be gone already."

"Clark … I don't know what to say …."

"Get that ambulance here," Clark directed. "You know the address."

"Of course, Clark!"

Lana was a 911 operator now. That was unexpected, but then, it had been more than six years since he had seen her.

Then he heard the front door open and heard Lois call out, "Clark? Are you here?"

"In the kitchen, Lois!"

Lois Lane ran into the kitchen. Clark's usual calm had been replaced with a worried urgency. As soon as she entered the room, she knew why. Both of Clark's parents lay on the floor, Clark administering CPR to his father. Ma Kent was stirring, so Lois went to her.

"Clark, what happened?"

"Someone fired a gas grenade into the kitchen." He cast a glance toward the spent grenade. "My pa has allergies – I'm trying to revive him …."

Lois nodded and helped a now partially awake Martha Kent to a sitting position.

"It's alright, Mrs. Kent," Lois assured. "Clark and I are here."

Martha looked over and saw Clark doing CPR for Jonathan and panicked.

"Jonathan! Jonathan, wake up!"

"Clark is doing all he can," Lois assured. "The ambulance is on its way."

"They won't be in time …." Martha began to wail. She knew instantly that her husband was gone.


	31. Chapter 31 - Return to Smallville

**Chapter 31 – Smallville**

The paramedics did everything they could, but Jonathan Kent was already dead, and pronounced so at the scene. He was dead before Clark had gotten home. Now, Clark sat in a hospital waiting room while his mother was examined. She would be all alone now. Whoever did this had to be found.

Clark's focus had fully shifted to finding the parties responsible. The question was, what would he do when he found them? Right now, he thought he might kill them.

"Hey, thought I'd buy you a latte for a change." Lois stood in front of him offering a comforting smile and a warm latte from the hospital café.

Clark took the cup, thankful for Lois' presence.

"Your mom will be alright, Clark."

"Physically, yes." He downed the coffee, gulping it down as a frat boy would down a bottle of beer, draining it to the dregs.

"Clark, that had to be scalding!"

"Invulnerable," he reminded her. Then he shook his head. "All these powers … and I couldn't even save him."

Lois took a seat next to him and put her arm around him. "But you've saved so many – your father is so proud of you."

"You mean was."

"No, Clark – you and your family believe in Heaven. I'm not religious, but you and your mother are …."

"So, you believe he's up there, watching us?"

"I believe that we go on in some form, Clark. I believe that there's more to us than just this life. Beyond that?" Lois shook her head. "Let's just say that believing in a loving, fatherly god would have been easier if I'd grown up with your dad instead of mine. My father kind of drove me away from religion."

Clark pulled her close. "I'm glad you're here."

"I am too, but Perry wants me in Metropolis tomorrow."

"I know." He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Get that story on the Luthor-Corp board in; nail them to the wall."

"Oh, I intend to." Lois then added, "I will be here for your father's funeral, I promise."

Then, she kissed him. Not on the cheek, but a gentle kiss on his lips. It was a sweet, tender moment, a break from the tragedy of the day.

"Oh … oh, my!"

Clark and Lois looked up to see a tall, red haired girl with her locks drawn back into a ponytail. She wore blue jeans and red plaid flannel shirt. It had been six years, but Clark recognized her instantly.

"Lana."

Lana Lang nodded. "Hey, Clark. This must be Chloe's cousin, Lois."

Clark nodded. "Lana, this is Lois Lane – star reporter of the Daily Planet."

"Pleased to meet you," Lois said, standing to shake Lana's hand.

"You treat him well, you hear?" Lana looked intently at Lois as she accepted the handshake. "I lost him cause I didn't. I lost him cause I played games. Don't take him for granted."

Clark raised an eyebrow at this, surprised by Lana's candor to a complete stranger. He could see it in her eyes that she still loved him.

"I'll take good care of him," Lois assured. "I promise."

A moment later, Chloe and Pete joined them, walking hand in hand – it seemed that the two were now a couple.

"We're so sorry, Clark," Pete exclaimed. "Chloe and me got here as quick as we could when Lana called."

"Lois," Clark said, "this is Pete Ross – one of my oldest friends. And I think you know Chloe."

Chloe hugged Clark. "We're here for you, Clark." Then she pulled Pete close. "Pete's my fiancé, Clark."

Clark nodded approvingly. "Congratulations. When's the big day?"

"No date set yet," Pete replied, "but you'll be the best man, right?"

"Of course, Pete," Clark assured, happy to see that Pete and Chloe had found each other. Then, he wondered if Pete knew that Clark was Superman. That was a topic of discussion for another day. Right now, he was just glad that they were here.

The doctor came out and called to Clark. "Mister Kent, you can come see her now. She's fine."

"Not by a longshot," Clark said as he stood. "How many visitors?"

The doctor shrugged. "All of you"

-S-

Martha Kent was beside herself. She lay in a hospital bed in the ER, curtains for walls, and the doctors pronouncing her to be alright. But she was not alright. Her beloved Jonathan was gone. Somebody had done this, and the only thing she could think of was that somehow, the government had figured out Clark's secret.

The curtains parted, and Clark stepped through, followed by Lois, Lana, Pete, and Chloe. In spite of the loss of Jonathan, she was comforted to have all the kids around her.

"Clark … they know …."

"Who, Ma?" Clark took a seat at her bedside and took her hand. He was so warm! Clark was always so warm. He always had been but for some reason, it caught her attention as it never had before.

"The government … they know," she exclaimed. "It's the only explanation."

"Know what?" Pete looked confused, and as he looked at the rest of them, it became clear that he realized that they all knew something he did not.

"No, Ma," Clark assured, "they don't – not yet at least." Then his face took on an expression she did not ever recall him making. It was … wrathful, vengeful. His eyes took on a ruby hue, and he then added, "I will make certain that they never do."

She did not think Pete had caught the change in his eye color, but Lana did, and her face drained of color. Lois noticed it too, though her expression did not change the way Lana's did.

"Son … you can't do that," Martha gasped. "Remember what the Good Book says …."

"You will never suffer like this again," he declared, his jaw set and his eye narrowed. "This, I promise. I will make them pay."

"No, Clark," Lois pled, taking his hands. "We'll find them together – then we can bring them to justice properly. Luthor-Corp's Board went down because we did it right. We'll do this right too, Clark."

Chloe and Lana exchanged worried glances while Pete looked at Clark with confusion. "Who are you going to find, Clark? And what do you mean, make them pay? Are you gonna go all Deathwish on whoever it was?"

Clark shook his head. "No … I still don't know what I'm going to do but mark my words; I will do something."

Lois seemed to have redirected Clark's anger. Martha was relieved at this. She mourned the loss of her husband. She did not need her son to go on a murderous rampage, even if part of her wished that he would.

"Hush, y'all," Ma Kent said softly. "Yer here – all of you. That's all that matters right now." Then she looked at Clark. "Don't be angry at yerself, son – you did all you could."

"But it wasn't enough."

"But that's how it was meant to be," Martha assured. "No matter how difficult it may be, the Good Lord has a plan. Jonathan was called home, son. He's in a better place now, and one day, I'll be with him again."

Clark just nodded. There were so many things they could not say in the presence of Pete or at the hospital in general. Her son's presence was all that mattered to her right now – it was the only thing keeping her from focusing on the empty hole in her heart. They could talk about the rest later.


	32. Chapter 32 - Return to Smallville

**Chapter 32 – Smallville**

Lex Luthor ran his hands across the smooth surface of the starship. It now rested in Doctor Lang's lab along with Brainiac and the Kryptonian designed suit. At last, he had what he needed. So far, Clark had not blasted through the walls to come and get him. This meant that he had time to get the sample and return the ship to Clark. Hopefully, he could undo any damage that had been done.

"We're ready, Lex," Doctor Lang declared. "We will need radiation suits for this – according to Vril Dox, this element is highly radioactive."

Already wearing one himself, Doctor Lang handed Lex a radiation suit. Lex donned the suit as Lang activated Braniac. The holographic head appeared atop its pedestal, its expression unreadable.

"As soon as you are ready, we will begin extraction of the Kryptonium."

Lex and Doctor Lang nodded. Lex took another look at the starship. Tampering with it now seemed somehow wrong. He looked over at Lang.

"Clark is in town. I need to stop this before it gets out of hand. I need to contact him and …."

"That would be unwise," Brainiac declared.

"Why?" Lex did not like where this was going.

"Because Jonathan Kent did not survive the sleeping agent," Brainiac explained. "I am monitoring local broadcast and communications. If you face Kal El of Krypton without the battle-suit, you will be killed."

Lex stiffened at the news. Tears came to his eyes. A man who had been like a second father to him was dead, and all so that Lex could steal something from the Kent barn. It did not matter that it was a starship – Jonathan Kent was dead. Indirectly, Lex had taken Martha Kent's husband and the only father that Clark had ever known.

"Then it's time we begin," Lex replied, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Before we do, there is one matter that I must attend."

Lex had brought a briefcase with him. He placed it onto one of Lang's work benches and opened it, revealing a sophisticated remote-control setup complete with a viewscreen reminiscent of Blofeld's contraption in the Bond Film, For Your Eyes Only.

He activated the controls and atop the Luthor-Corp research facility, an armored helicopter took flight. Lex sent it forth with a light push of one of the remote's levers, soon to find its target.

-S-

John Corben was fuming. Lex Luthor would pay for this outrage. He drove his black Dodge Daytona Turbo Z to the airport. From there, he planned to catch a flight to Washington, D.C. General Sam Lane was there and needed to know that his daughter's new coworker had a starship stashed in his parents' barn … and that Lex Luthor had possession of said starship.

A loud whistle was all he heard. It was all he needed to hear; Corben knew exactly what it was and from whom it was sent. Luthor had not waited long to wreak his vengeance upon the unfaithful minion. Corben thought he would have at least a week.

The missile struck the car with a deafening explosion, and John Corben's world went black.

-S-

Lex closed the briefcase, a satisfied grin on his face. "We can begin now."

Brainiac's head nodded. "Of course, Mister Luthor. Follow my instructions to the letter or you will die – exposure to Kryptonium is lethal within seconds."

Lex wondered how it would affect Clark. He had a small box that resembled a pager on his hip. It did not receive calls, however, but could send out an S.O.S. that only Clark would be able to hear. If he were risking death, Lex wanted the opportunity to call his best friend. Clark would come for him, no matter how angry he was. Lex knew that. With Jonathan Kent dead, Clark might want to kill Lex, but at least the Luthor heir would have a chance to express his remorse.

So far, Clark had proven resistant to all forms of injury, but had never encountered radiation of any sort. If anything went wrong, could Clark rescue them without being overcome himself?

"Jonathan Kent's death was not your fault, Mister Lutor," Doctor Lang said out of the blue. "You gave your minion very specific instructions and even supplied him with the appropriate equipment. Corben chose to do otherwise."

"I'd rather not talk about this right now," Lex protested.

"I am sorry – Jonathan was a friend of mine too, you know?" Lang placed his hand on Lex's shoulder. "In no way do I hold you responsible. Clark won't either. Of this I can assure you."

"Before we begin … I need to see him."

"Lex?"

"No, Doctor Lang," Lex insisted. "We don't do this without him – I owe him that."

"Time is of the essence," Vril Dox reminded him. "However, the presence of a Kryptonian could increase our chances of success."

Lex nodded. "Then I'll be back."

As soon as Lex had left the room, Doctor Lang looked at the holographic image of Braniac and smiled.

"That went exactly as planned."

"The young Luthor is easy to manipulate," Dox noted. "You were right – he will be perfect."

At last, Lang could pay the Luthors back for years of humiliation. Lex Luthor would fall. Then Lena would follow. It was high time that the Luthor Dynasty was wiped out once and for all. Lilian would be proud.


	33. Chapter 33 - Return to Smallville

**Chapter 33 - Smallville**

Lois was gone – Perry had been more than sympathetic for Clark's loss, but he expected Lois back in Metropolis immediately. For the first time in his life, Clark was contemplating using his powers to commit murder. When he found them – and he would find them – could he hold back? Would he even try? Without Lois, he felt lost and adrift. Perhaps she would be able to help him sort it out if she were here. As it was, he had to deal with this on his own.

The sleeping agent was certainly not intended to kill, but Jonathan Kent had allergies to ingredients in the agent that caused his death. The perpetrators would not have known about that. Intellectually, Clark knew this. Emotionally, he was not sure that he even cared.

For a normal man, this would be an internal debate about whether or not to go out and buy firearms and start some Deathwish style vendetta. Clark was Superman -he could kill them at will. More importantly, Superman was supposed to stand for truth, justice and freedom, not vengeance and retribution. Truth, justice, and freedom – high ideals, but now, his devotion to them would be put to the test.

Truth, justice, and freedom.

Truth … what was the truth? He had to get to that first. That is what reporters did and Clark was a reporter – now he had to start thinking like a reporter instead of like the son of the victim of a crime.

The grenade was not a random act – they had put his parents to sleep for a reason. Ordinarily, Clark might assume that it was to rob the house, but there was no sign that the perpetrators had ever entered. The house was locked when Clark returned home, and apart from the broken glass, there was no sign of any tampering.

Clark had examined the spent grenade before the police had arrived the previous evening, but it had no fingerprints, and it was manufactured by Heckler and Koch, a German arms manufacturer. No clues there.

However, he knew exactly what it was they were after. Nobody else would think to look because nobody else knew what might be in the barn. But the perpetrators did.

Clark went outside to the barn and utilized his vision powers to look for signs of intruders. He was instantly rewarded by a set of tire tracks that had belonged to a heavy truck, tire tracks that did not match any vehicle the Kents owned. There were also boot prints that did not match any of either his or his parents footwear. He looked further into the barn with his penetrative vision and confirmed what he already knew; his starship had been taken.

It was still dark, and most of Smallville still slept. Clark took flight and followed the truck's tracks until they reached the highway, where they became lost with the tracks of other vehicles. Thankfully, the ship had a unique energy signature. He could not follow a trail, but it would turn up. He simply had to find a way to detect it. For this, he knew exactly to whom he could turn.

-S-

When Clark returned home, Lana awaited him on the porch. He landed softly – his mother slept as soundly as he was likely to, and he did not wish to awaken her.

"Clark," Lana cried.

She embraced him and held him tightly as soon as he stepped onto the porch. Clark offered her a kind hug, thankful that it had been Lana at the other end of his 911 call.

"Hey," was all he said.

"You find out who it was?"

"Not yet, but I have a few leads to follow up. When I find them …."

"Please don't kill them!"

"Lana," Clark scolded, "they killed my father. I can't let that slide."

"No, but you can't kill!" She held him tightly, sobbing. "You give people hope, Clark. Superman gives the world hope! Superman can't kill! Superman protects. He doesn't kill. If you use your powers to kill … it'll destroy you! You have a good heart, Clark – don't let these monsters take that away from you."

"Lana, they have to be stopped."

"If you kill, you won't stop!" Lana was practically beside herself. "Clark, there are people who do worse than these men. If you kill the ones who did this, you'll kill more people too – you'll justify it. That ain't the way your ma and pa raised you. That ain't the way Jesus says we should be. We gotta forgive an' let God punish the guilty. Do what Lois said, Clark."

Clark began to chuckle. Lana looked up at him in puzzlement, but he smiled at her.

"It seems our roles have reversed. Now it's you, Lana, telling me not to do something stupid."

She giggled at this. "I know, Clark. Kinda funny, ain't it?"

"Thank you. I know what I need to do now."

He heard a car drawing near. He had heard it for some time now. Clark knew who the driver was. The car, a TVR Tasmin, was now pulling up the drive and stopping in front of the Kent's house. When it came to a stop, the door opened, and Lex Luthor stepped out.

Lex looked like he had not slept in days. His color was drained, and he had not shaved. It was Lex as Clark had never seen him. He also had that look that Lex always had when he had done something questionable. Clark did not care; whatever it was could wait. His best friend was here, and that mattered most.

"Clark, I came as soon as I could." Lex practically ran to him. "I am so sorry, Clark! So sorry."

Clark was surprised to see that Lex was actually crying.

"Lex," Clark called. "Thank you for coming out so quickly!"

"Clark," Lex began, "I had to talk to you. I had to – Clark, it's all my fault!"

"Lex?" A thousand thoughts ran through Clark's mind, but he suspected that he knew where this was going.

"We made a discovery in the lab – Lana's father actually."

"My pa?" Lana looked puzzled. "He ain't said nothin', to me an' mom."

"Lana, you know Luthor-Corp employees are bound by nondisclosure agreements," Lex reminded her.

"What's all your fault, Lex?" Clark looked down at his friend. Lex was deeply troubled by something. Whatever it was, he knew that it was connected to the missing starship. Either Luthor-Corp had been behind it, and Lex was here to tell him … or Lex was involved and was here to apologize.

If the latter, then Lex would be responsible for Pa Kent's death on some level. Suddenly, Lana's words hit home. Killing Lex, even if he were responsible somehow, would be very difficult because Lex was not a faceless villain, but Clark's closest friend.

Fueled by anger and rage, Clark could easily annihilate faceless villains at range with his heat vision. Lex was a friend, and no matter how angry he was, he could never see Lex as less than a person. Every person was just as valuable as Lex, and just as deserving of simple human dignity. Clark swore to himself then and there to avoid killing at all possible costs, lest he become the monster himself.

"Clark … you need to come with me," Lex pled. "I can't tell you – I have to show you."

Lana gripped Clark's arm. She was worried, but Clark could handle himself.

"It's alright, Lana." He turned to Lex. "You driving?"

"If you don't mind." Then Lex added as he got into the car, "Clark, you are the best. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this. I only hope that when you see what it is we've done that you'll understand."

"Understand?" Clark took his seat in Lex's TVR, closing the door.

"You'll see."

With that, the two men rode off to Luthor-Corp's Smallville research facility, leaving Lana alone on Clark's front porch.


	34. Chapter 34 - Return to Smallville

**Chapter 34 – Smallville**

Clark and Lex arrived at Luthor-Corp's Smallville research facility. The ride in the car had been frustrating for Clark. Lex was evasive or simply clammed up when Clark pressed him about what was going on. He was certain by this point that Lex was somehow involved in the theft of the starship. What he did not know was how Lex knew of its existence; Clark had never told him that he had the ship, or that he was an alien – he had only told Lex that he had powers.

While Lex was certainly smart enough to extrapolate the truth, without specifics, Clark doubted that Lex would act so decisively. Somehow, Lex Luthor had figured out that Clark was not only an alien, but that he had a starship and knew where that starship had been hidden.

The fact that Lex had not been forthcoming told Clark that his friend had not interceded to keep the ship from the actual thieves. Instead, Lex was likely the one behind it all. That meant that Jonathan Kent was dead as a result.

Part of him had wanted to slam his feet through the floor of the car and bring them to a screeching halt, there to demand an answer. Instead, he opted to meditate as Lara Lor-Von had instructed him, and allow everything to unfold, lest he act on incomplete information. Lex had been his friend for years. Clark could not rush to judgement. He had to get this right and give his friend a chance to exonerate himself.

The car came to a halt at the gates, where Lex was waved on through by security.

"I thought you were still trying to get access to Luthor-Corp buildings," Clark noted.

"The Smallville facility just let me in," Lex explained. "They're loyal to my father and my family, not the board."

Clark hoped that this was the case, though privately, he had his doubts. Something else was going on here, and he was certain that Lex was blinded to the truth, though Clark did not know by whom or why.

Lex pulled the car into his personal parking space and shut off the engine. The young tech mogul took a deep breath.

"Clark, I have been and always will be your friend."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "Wrath of Khan references do not bode well."

Lex laughed nervously. "I know. I only hope that once you see …."

"Lex, just tell me what's going on – or if you can't talk out here, then let's go inside."

Lex leaned his head against the steering wheel and let out a long sigh. Finally, he looked up at Clark, a pleading expression on his face.

"Clark, I feel like if you see what I need you to see, everything will make sense. I fear that I cannot do this topic justice with words alone."

Clark had several options. Once option was to insist on answers right here and now, but at this point, they were already at Luthor-Corp; why not just go inside and look at whatever it was Lex needed to show him?

"Lex, you know what I've just been through. My father was killed, and I'm pretty sure that whatever this is that you want to show me was related."

Lex went pale at this, and Clark now had confirmation.

"You're my best friend, Lex, so I'm trusting you. I need you to understand that I am not my usual self. If there is anything that you think I need to know before we go inside, now's the time."

"If I try to explain it to you here," Lex said shakily, "you may never forgive me. You have to know that I did not kill your father."

"That is the furthest thing from my mind."

"Really?" Lex seemed genuinely surprised.

"What? You think I've ridden with you this whole way waiting to accuse you of manslaughter?"

"I … I didn't know what to think," the young Luthor confessed. "I am not used to people operating without some kind of hidden agenda or holding back so that they can give me enough rope to hang myself. The board, investors, the press; all of them have it in for me. You're one of the only ones who takes me at face value and one of the only ones who isn't just waiting for me to slip up – you, Lena, and your parents."

Clark smiled. He was not happy, but he did not know what else to do. "Alright, Lex – let's go inside and see what you've found."

This brought a sigh of relief and a broad smile to Lex's face. "Believe me, Clark, you won't regret it!"

He hoped that Lex was right on that last count.

-S-

Lex led Clark to Doctor Lang's laboratory, but stopped before going inside, turning instead to a row of lockers in the hallway. He opened one and removed a radiation suit, which he offered to Clark.

"You should wear one too, Clark. I know you're pretty much indestructible, but …."

"But why take chances?" Clark agreed and took the offered suit.

Lex got one for himself and the two friends donned their suits. It felt strange to put on any kind of protective gear, but Clark knew that he could be injured; Chloe's sample of Kryptonite proved that there were things in this universe that could physically harm him. Once he was ready, he gave Lex a thumbs up, at which point Lex opened the door.

Even though he had an idea of what he might see on the other side, nothing could have prepared Clark for what he was about to see, or for what happened next.

"Ah, Clark, Lex," Doctor Lang called out, likewise attired in a radiation suit. "You're just in time!"

Clark's starship – the vessel that had carried him from Krypton to Earth – rested atop a large dolly. On a raised dais behind it stood a Kryptonian battle-suit. Clark recognized it from one of Lara's history lessons. Next to the ship was another pedestal, atop which rested a Kryptonian super-computer, which projected a disembodied androgynous holographic head.

"Greetings, Kal El of Krypton," the head said to him. "I have been expecting you."

The voice was a monotone contralto, just high enough to be feminine, but just low enough to be masculine. Its inflections could have also been either feminine or masculine.

"Who are you?" Clark was wary and interposed himself between Lex and the head instinctively.

"I am Vril Dox. I am from Krypton."

"You're artificial intelligence," Clark noted, keeping his tone as flat as he could.

"Affirmative, Kal El." Vril Dox looked at Clark like a predator who had found his prey.

"How do you know my name?"

"He knew who you were before you came here," Lex noted. "He helped me find the starship."

That explained how Lex knew about it.

"Stay back, Lex," Clark warned. "I don't like this." Then he looked at Doctor Lang. "You … are hiding something."

"Nonsense, Clark. I would offer you anything," the doctor countered. "I would even offer you my daughter. She will serve as a fine vessel for the superior offspring you will sire."

"You're offering Lana as a love slave?"

"To you?" Doctor Lang grinned. "Yes."

"You disgust me." Then Clark looked at Vril Dox. "How do I know you're really Kryptonian? Would you have not been sent aboard my ship?"

"I was," Dox confirmed. "I was recovered by one of Luthor-Corp's salvage teams and eventually brought here for Doctor Lang to decipher. I was codenamed 'Brainiac' by Lionel Luthor. If you doubt me, you need only activate the computer within your starship – the computer that contains the words of Jor-El, your Kryptonian father."

Clark nodded and approached the starship warily. The only computer he had found contained Lara's personality, not Jor-El's. Still, Lara should be more than capable of settling the authenticity of Vril Dox. He went to the ship and placed his hand into the print on the side, activating the starship and opening its cockpit.

As soon as the cockpit opened, a panel in the back of the ship opened in addition. Out of that panel came a set of six greenish rods, which filled the room with a powerful radiation. Clark could actually feel it through the suit. Lex winced in pain and Lang fell to his knees.

"I have control of the ship," Dox declared.

Clark realized too late that the ship was shielded in some way and only Clark's opening of the cockpit had enabled Dox to gain access.

"I am the repository of all Kryptonian knowledge, Kal-El," Dox declared. "Jor EL placed my CPU in a compartment on your ship. I was programmed to detach right before it struck the ground behind your farmhouse, lest we both be destroyed. I landed elsewhere in Smallville and was then picked up with other samples of Kryptonite – samples used to construct the battle-suit. Thus, the single greatest repository of Kryptonian knowledge was saved – me."

Then Dox looked at Lex. "The battle-suit will shield you."

"It's a trap, Lex," Clark shouted. "Get out!"

Lex tried the door, but it was locked. Clark went to help him, but as soon as he turned to open the door, he heard a gunshot and pain erupted in his back. Blood – his blood – spattered on the wall and the bullet left a hole in the wall.

Clark was in agony, and with the suit ruptured, he was now taking radiation and fell to his knees from the pain. He had never felt anything like it, and with the radiation hitting him, his vision was becoming blurry.

He turned to see a blurry Doctor Lang, still on his knees, holding a pistol.

"Kryptonite bullets," Lang declared. "The only substance hard enough to hurt you, Clark. Don't worry; it's a clean-through shot – no vital organs hit. I don't want you dead."

"It's my turn to help you, Clark," Lex shouted. He ran to the ship and grabbed the fuel rods before making for the suit, all as Lang looked on.

"Lex, no! It's what he wants!" Clark stood to stop him, but the pain caused him sink back down.

"John Corben gassed your parents," Lex called. "I took care of him for you! He was going to Lois' father with information about you. I avenged your father's death. Now, I will avenge you!"

With that, the young Luthor ran to the suit and inserted the rods into receptacles on the back, activating it. Lex then removed his radiation suit, much to Clark's horror. With the battle-suit now activated however, it opened up, allowing Lex to simply step into it.

"Lang, you're mine," Lex shouted.

As soon as the helmet closed around Lex's head and the three discs came down atop his bald cranium, Lex shrieked in pain.

"No," Vril Dox declared. "You are mine."

With that, the holographic head vanished.

Lex Luthor felt as though his entire body was on fire. Thousands of needles pierced his flesh as the suit attached itself to him. Then he felt those needles injecting something into him. Before he could contemplate what was happening, his head erupted with pain. He heard Clark shouting at Lang to stop right before he blacked out.

Brainiac looked out at Clark through Lex's eyes.

Clark could find no trace of his friend in the face that looked out at him from the battle-suit. Now that the fuel rods were inside the suit, Clark was no longer being blasted by the radiation, and his vision was clearing. He could not see through the suit except for the clear visor. Lex's blood was swimming with some kind of nanotech, and it was reacting to signals from the headpiece that was in contact with his scalp.

"You … you've possessed him!"

"He is merely a donor," Dox replied. The suit opened, and Lex's body stepped out. "It was Lex who sent Corben, who then botched the job. Though he did not intend for any harm to come to your Earth father, it was Lex Luthor's hand that put it all into motion. He was telling the truth about Corben going to General Lane. Lex killed him with a drone strike."

"And now, you've killed Lex," Clark growled. He noticed that with the radiation gone, his wound was already healing. Just a few more minutes ….

Dox shook his head. "No, Kal-El. I did not."

"Lex – the real Lex," Doctor Lang said as he stood, "is still in there somewhere – a file for Vril Dox to access as needed."

"Lex … snap out of it!" Clark looked at the possessed body of his best friend as Lang spoke. He hoped that Lex's strong personality would be able to overcome, but that only happened in the movies. Then he turned to Lang. "Why? How could you be part of something so … monstrous?"

"Monstrous?" Lang became enraged. "Lionel Luthor was a monster, Clark Kent! He had people killed, blackmailed, or used as subjects in inhuman experimentation! Luthor-Corp is a cancer on this world, Kal-El of Krypton! Lionel's heirs must be destroyed!"

"Lana would be horrified!"

Clark hoped that the mention of Lang's daughter would revive some of the man's humanity, but to his horror, the door opened, and two lab techs walked a visibly drugged Lana Lang into the lab. The two men left, the door closing behind them.

"Lana is right here, Clark," Doctor Lang said enticingly. "She still pines for you, you know. Now, she is yours for the taking."

"What is wrong with you?" Clark shook his head. "Why would you ask me to do such a thing to Lana?"

Lang grinned. "Because, Kal-El, I have specially prepared her for you. I have given her various treatments over the years that have altered her physiology to the point that she can reproduce with you."

"Why?" Clark went to Lana, trying to rouse her, but she was drugged beyond his ability to bring her around.

"To replace the human race, Kal-El," Vril Dox replied. "Humankind will be eliminated by the advanced technology that Luthor-Corp – under my guidance – will develop."

"That's genocide," Clark exclaimed.

"Humanity is destroying this planet, Clark," Lang reminded him. "We no longer deserve it. You know this to be true. It's not genocide; it's pesticide."

"As the AI custodian of all Kryptonian knowledge," Dox said, "I could not allow the destruction of the Kryptonian race. Jor-El laid the foundation by sending you. I was able to join you in your voyage here, and with a Kryptonian male alive and well on Earth, I needed only adapt a human female to our needs."

"Our?" Clark had had enough. There was no way he was allowing Dox to imply that it was somehow with Clark in any way. "There is no 'our,' Brainiac."

Careful to shield Lana, Clark clapped his hands, sending forth an ear shattering boom that knocked Braniac and Lang to the floor. Then he grabbed the computer from inside of the ship that held the program of Lara Lor Von, then grabbed Lana, and took off, flying as fast as he could without hurting the human woman in his arms.

As soon as he was outside of the Luthor-Corp building, he flew high into the sky, soaking up the sun. His wound was nearly healed, but he had to get Lana to safety. Lana and Lena both were in danger, and so too was Lois; if Brainiac achieved its goals, all humanity would be destroyed. And Brainiac had control of Lex, and through him, Luthor-Corp.


	35. Chapter 35 - Return to Smallville

**Chapter 35 – Smallville**

Lana awoke in a room that was not her own. She did not recognize it at first, but it seemed familiar. Her head felt like it was filled with cotton but shaking it did not seem to help. Lana could remember nothing after … after what? She tried to remember the last thing that had happened. Clark – she had been with Clark. Lex had come, and they drove off … then everything went black.

She looked around the room again, but still did not know where she was. It looked like an older home. She could hear the sounds of cooking from the kitchen downstairs. Then her eyes landed on football trophies. She noticed the years on them – all 1983. It was a boy's room. It looked familiar. Then she remembered. It had been years since she had been in his room, but it had to be.

"Clark!"

"I'm here, Lana."

The door opened, and Clark walked in. He looked relieved, but still anxious. He sat on the side of the bed and took her hand.

"Clark … what am I doin' here?" She sat upright, and her head began to pound. "Ugh! I feel like I have the mother of all hangovers!"

"You were drugged," Clark explained. "By your father."

"By my … Clark, why would he ….?"

"Lana, it's all gone wrong, terribly wrong. Your father has a piece of Kryptonian tech and an AI called Brainiac. Brainiac is probably in all of the Smallville facility's computers – probably why Lex was cleared for entry and treated so well."

"Clark, what happened?" Lana shook her head. "Why am I here?"

"Because I could watch over you here. Lois is back in Metropolis – this whole thing just got a lot more complicated."

"I don't understand. What happened to Lex?"

"Brainiac. It's a Kryptonian AI that your father was messing around with. It has control of Lex, and I have no idea how to free him."

"That's horrible! Why did my father drug me?"

"He's done things to you, Lana. He and Brainiac want you to have my children so that the Kryptonian race can live again. Your father did some kind of experimental treatments to you, enabling you to carry a Kryptonian child. He drugged you to give you to me. I'm sorry."

"Wish you'd taken me, Clark. We could have a family together, you know. Lois can't give you that."

"Lana, I'm going to say this again, because I think you're still under the effect of those drugs. They want you to bear Kryptonian children, but it's because they want to wipe out humanity and replace them with Kryptonians!"

Lana stared at Clark blankly. This was too much for her to take in. Her father had become the very definition of a mad scientist and with technology from Clark's home world, he threatened the very existence of humankind. Lana ached to be with Clark, but not like this.

"Clark, you gotta stop him!"

"Brainiac has possessed Lex," Clark explained. "Lois just took down Luthor-Corp's board. Lex will have control of Luthor-Corp again, except …."

"Except it ain't really Lex," Lana finished.

"No, and I haven't figured out how to stop him without hurting Lex in the process."

"What about my Ma? Is she part of this … insanity?"

Clark shook his head. "She's downstairs with Ma eating something finally. She's as horrified as you are."

"Why, Clark? Why couldn't we just have been two normal kids?" Lana reached up and caressed his cheek. "You an' me coulda made it together, you know. Lois never woulda come here if you weren't the super boy, an' you an' me'd be married by now."

Clark smiled at her. It was that brotherly smile he had given her for years. Lana wanted more. It was never to be, however. Had Clark been a normal boy, he would never have been the amazing man he was. He would never have amazed and thrilled her the way that he had. He would have looked like the Kents – an average looking man of medium height and soft in the middle like his parents.

He would have been a man of normal human intelligence and average physical prowess. Would Lana have noticed him? Would they have become friends? She did not know. What she did know was that Clark now belonged to Lois, and her father was in league with an alien computer trying to destroy Earth. Anything would have been better than this.

"Lana, I don't know what might have been anymore than you do. What I do know is that I have to find a way to stop Brainiac. He has a Kryptonian battle-suit and the means to kill me. Your father shot me with a Kryptonite bullet. Damn thing hurt more than anything I've ever felt."

"Clark! Are you …."

Clark pulled open his shirt, revealing scarring just below his right shoulder. She touched it as if by instinct and he actually winced slightly.

"Oh, my God!" Lana could hardly believe it. "Clark, you're injured!"

"Tell me about it."

"I thought you were faster than bullets," Lana exclaimed.

"I am, but your father shot me in the back. I was trying to help Lex escape. Didn't know your father was armed."

"Oh, Clark …."

Lana hugged him, laying her head on his chest. She wished she could keep him all to herself, but it was not to be. He held her for a few moments and then stood.

"You can stay here as long as you like, Lana."

"I'd stay forever if you asked."

"That wouldn't be fair to you, Lana."

"I know."

-S-

Ma Kent and Ma Lang stood when Clark came downstairs and walked into the kitchen. Mrs. Lang was pale, staring at Clark with a mixture of awe and terror.

"You're him … ain't ya?" She backed away when Clark took a step forward. "My crazy husband said you was. He said you an' Lana was a gonna remake the world together. I thought he was nuts … then Superman appeared … an' I knew it was you."

"Your husband is a dangerous man, Mrs. Lang. Stay away from him, and keep Lana away from him too; I need to leave, and once I'm gone, I can't protect you."

Mrs. Lang just nodded and asked, "Is … Lana awake?"

"She is. You should go up and see her."

Lana's mother nodded and practically ran up the stairs. She was scared – scared of her husband and scared of what Clark represented.

As soon as Mrs. Lang was out of the room, Ma Kent hugged her son.

"Clark, this … Brainiac has Lex?"

Clark nodded. "Literally; he's possessed him. He's also planning to reproduce Kryptonian tech in order to wipe out all humankind. I need to figure out a solution to this."

"Clark, you're smarter than Lex Luthor – you'll figure it out."

"No, Ma – it's not a matter of how smart I am; I don't have the knowledge base. Lex is a scientist by trade. I'm a reporter."

"Lena," Ma Kent said. "She's as smart as Lex, an' she's a scientist too. Go to her and git her to help."

"Ma, the funeral is in three days! I can't be in Metropolis for long."

"You do what you need to, Clark – otherwise, it'll be everyone's funeral! Go to Lena, Clark; we're all depending on you."

Clark understood. He had to move fast. Otherwise, it would be too late. "I love you, Ma."

"I love you too, Clark. I'll take care of Lana an' her ma. You're the only one who can stop Brainiac." She placed her hand on his chest where the "S" on costume would be. "This is a job for Superman."


	36. Chapter 36 - Metropolis: The Interview

**Chapter 36 – The Interview**

 **The Daily Planet**

 **Superman: He's Out of this World!**

By Lois Lane – July 14th, 1989

Superman – he's here! He's the lead story in every news outlet. He's on everyone's mind. He's faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! He flies at supersonic speeds. Bullets can't hurt him, fire doesn't burn him, and his enhanced senses enable him to see through solid objects, see into the next state, and also see on a microscopic level, and to hear the softest sound from great distances away.

He's Superman – who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel in his bare hands. He's saved people in planes, trains, and automobiles, put out fires, and rescued people from those same burning buildings, as well as one of the firefighters.

Nobody knows who or what he is – until now.

On a tip, Clark Kent and I traveled back to Smallville and to my surprise, Superman was there, having just headed off the derailment of a chemical train. I caught up with the Man of Steel and hoped he would answer a few questions. To my surprise, he was willing to sit down and talk with me at length.

As it turns out, Superman is not the product of some crazy government experiment, as some news outlets have irresponsibly reported. Nor his he a mutant. I must warn my readers to make sure that you're seated for this.

I recorded my interview with him on microcassette, so what I will share is unedited. Here is just some of what we talked about.

LL: "So, let's start with the question that's on the minds of many a lady in Metropolis – are you married?"

Superman: "No, no I'm not."

LL: "Girlfriend?"

Superman: "No, I don't, but if I did, Miss Lane, you'd be the first to know about it."

(His response caught me off guard – at first, I thought maybe he was hinting at something else, but I think it's more that as a reporter, I tend to find things out before anyone else.)

LL: "How old are you?"

Superman: "Over twenty-one."

LL: "Oh, I get it; you don't want anyone to know how – okay – how tall are you?"

Superman: "About six-four."

LL: "Six-four – and how much do you weigh?"

Superman: "About two-thirty-five, two-forty."

LL: "Two … forty?"

(Superman just smiles and shrugs.)

LL: "Well … um … uh … I assume then that the rest of your bodily functions are … normal?"

Superman: "Sorry, I beg your pardon."

(He was incredibly polite throughout the interview)

LL: "Well … putting it delicately … do you … eat?"

Superman (smiles, seemingly relieved at where the question led): "Yes, yes I do – when I'm hungry."

LL: "Of course, you do. Now, is it true that you can see through anything?"

Superman: "Pretty much."

LL: "And that you're totally impervious to pain?"

Superman: "So far."

LL (taking a que from my colleague, Cat Grant): "What color underwear am I wearing?"

(Suffice it to say that Superman knew the answer – that happens to be privileged information that will not be printed in this article.)

LL: "Do you have a first name?"

Superman: "My name is Kal-El. I descend from the house of El."

LL: "That brings me to my next question; where do you hail from?"

Superman: "I'm from pretty far away – another galaxy as a matter of fact." (He looks up into the night sky) "I come from a planet called Krypton, which resided in the Andromeda Galaxy."

(I was overcome in his presence – I had just learned that we are not alone in the galaxy, and for this reporter, I was overcome with awe and with hope)

LL: "Why are you here?"

Superman: "My home world was destroyed when I was an infant, Miss Lane. My father was the preeminent scientist on Krypton and had built a prototype starship (yes people; I saw his starship). It was a small craft, only capable of carrying one passenger. I went with the hopes of a dying people to Earth."

LL: "But why are you here – I mean as Superman?"

Superman: "To fight for truth, justice, and freedom."

LL (laughs in disbelief): "You're going to end up fighting every elected official in this country!"

Superman: "I have no intention of interfering in the electoral processes of sovereign nations."

LL: "I don't believe this. How can a man with your kind of power … not fight against corrupt officials?"

Superman: "That's your job, Miss Lane. I don't involve myself with politics and I have no aspirations to seek higher office."

LL: "It's hard to believe that a man with your kind of power has no aspirations to gain political influence and authority."

Superman (looking at me very intently): "Lois, I never lie."

LL: "So … the people of Earth can trust you?"

Superman: "Trust is earned, Miss Lane. I don't expect humanity to blindly assume that I'm a good guy. Human nature is to be suspicious. Some people trust me already, others do not – some never will. I hope to earn your trust. Actions speak louder than words – your reference to elected officials bearing that out in spades."

LL: "So, to end things on a lighter note, now that you've made Metropolis your home, are you a Meteors fan?"

Superman (chuckling): "I'm from Kansas, Miss Lane – Chiefs fan for life."

We spoke more, and this reporter can safely and authoritatively say that Superman is not too good to be true – he really is everything that he seems to be.

Kal-El is not a god. He is not an angel. He is not a government science project or mutant. He is a child who was sent to America, the Land of Opportunity, to find a new life, not unlike many of our own ancestors.

Kal-El's is the ultimate immigrant story. He came here to escape disaster in a faraway land. He was embraced by humans who loved and cared for him. He grew up here in the United States and thinks and feels as an American.

Like all who come here seeking a better life, he just wants to do his part to contribute to this great society of ours. Rest assured, Superman is one of us. He's not some alien god. He's just a hard-working man who has powers and abilities far beyond ordinary mortals.


	37. Chapter 37 - Metropolis

**Chapter 37 – Back in Metropolis**

Lois honked her horn as she tried to navigate her jeep through the crowded streets, but the closer she got to the Planet, the worse the traffic got. People were out in the streets holding signs. All manner of signs. Some had a hopeful message, others dire warnings, and still others were somewhere in between. All of them had one thing in common; they were all about Superman.

It was July fifteenth – only three days since the appearance of Superman, and the world was going insane. Lois Lane's interview with Superman was on the front page. To say that reactions were strong was the understatement of the century. For some reason, the Planet had become the focal point of both public outrage and public elation.

Police struggled to manage the crowd. On the east side of the street, a group from a local megachurch shouted out dire proclamations that Superman was the Anti-Christ; a false god fueled by satanic power. On the other side, another large church proclaimed Kal-El to be a messenger of God. Apparently, in Hebrew, Clark's Kryptonian name meant "Voice of God." Who knew? Lois now wished that she had not mentioned Clark's Kryptonian name in her article.

Then she saw the sign with her image upon it. It was so large that it took two people to hold it up. She read the words and felt the color drain from her face.

It proclaimed that "Lois Lane is the false prophet! Whore of Babylon speaks the lies of the devil!"

When she and Clark had left for Smallville three days ago, Metropolis was cautiously optimistic about the Man of Steel. Now, it was as if all hell had broken loose, her interview unleashing the floodgates of insanity.

She was finally able to get into the parking garage. Miraculously, nobody spotted her in the street. Lois feared that if they did, she would have been dragged from her vehicle and killed. She wished that Superman was here right now.

Lois parked and hoped that none of the crazies were in the garage. Thankfully, they were not – or if they were, they did not see her.

She rode the elevator up to the newsroom floor and when the doors opened, a broadly grinning Perry awaited her, holding in his hands a copy of the paper, her article headlining.

"See, Lane?" Perry was almost gloating. "I sent you to Smallville over your objections, and you return with the first full interview with Superman, along with a scoop on his preventing that Chemical train from derailing."

"Yes," she conceded, keeping to herself just how closely she had gotten to know the Man of Steel. "It definitely had an impact! What the hell happened, Chief? People are insane!"

"It's herd mentality and the human nature to panic," he said matter-of-factly. "People fear what they don't understand, and a superhuman alien who's immune to human weaponry and likely capable of taking out the entire military scares people like almost nothing else. What did you expect, Lane?"

"I expected people to read the article and come to an informed conclusion," she spat. "This is … crazy!"

"Like I'd believe that. How's that Luthor-Corp story coming?"

"It's done, Chief. I just need to go over it once more before handing it in."

"Good work, Lane – this is why I hired you. You really are the best. And you're rubbing off on Kent."

"Clark …."

"People suffer loss, Lane – it's unavoidable. We can wallow in it, or we can make it mean something."

True words, though they seemed somewhat callous at the moment.

Perry returned to his office and Lois returned to her desk where she looked at the finished article about Luthor-Corp and the reinstatement of Lex Luthor. Her mind whirled with conflicting feelings and thoughts on what she had written.

There was a new board and that board had voted unanimously for Lex to be chairman. Lois hoped that Lex's youth and inexperience would not spell disaster, but regardless, it was his chance to make things right. It was Lex Luthor's chance to clean up the mess that his father and the old board had left behind.

After reading through it several times, she deemed it ready for Perry's eyes. A cautiously positive article about a Luthor – Lois chuckled at the turn of events. A week ago, this would not have been possible. A week ago, she was still suspicious of Clark's friendship with the heir of Luthor-Corp and feeling betrayed by Clark as a result. Now, she was actually putting into print sentiments that Lex Luthor's ascendency was a change for the better, however cautious those sentiments may be.

She was hardly elated, however – Lex was still a wildcard, and Lois still did not fully trust that the egotistical man might not potentially make things worse for Metropolis. There was also the question of who had gassed the Kents, causing Jonathan's death. Was it Luthor-Corp? Clark had called the other day to let her know that "it" was gone. Lois knew that "it" was the starship, something Luthor would almost certainly want to study and reverse engineer. Even Clark had his suspicions about Luthor-Corp's potential involvement, though he did not seem to think Lex was connected.

Of course, Luthor-Corp's shakeup was still a huge positive, a seeming harbinger of good things beginning to happen in Metropolis.

It had been a week since Clark Rescued Meredith and her kids from a building rigged to explode. True to Maggie's prediction, the bombers were out within forty-eight hours. It was enough to make Lois want to pack it in and leave journalism behind … except that once Lois got Lena's information to Maggie, the board went down, and the bombers were arrested.

A new ADA, Mayson Drake, had made cleaning up Metropolis her mission in life, and she was starting at the very top: Luthor-Corp.

Drake was going after the disgraced board of directors with a passion, and the information from Lena had provided more fodder against them. A new board was elected, paving the way for Lex Luthor's return. As majority shareholders, Lex and Lena were in the driver's seat. Lena however, acquiesced to Lex's ambitions, leaving Lex in charge.

However, Mayson Drake's interest was not limited to Luthor-Corp, it seemed that her attention had also been drawn to Superman. Her comments in the wake of his appearance were hardly flattering. Mayson Drake feared the large, dark-haired man in a blue and red caped costume with a symbol that resembled an "S" emblazoned on his chest, and it was easy to see why.

This enigmatic man moved faster than was humanly possible, making it difficult to obtain accurate facial descriptions, and a reddish glow about his eyes obscured his features when he was not moving at supersonic speeds.

His feats of superhuman strength were astounding – people had reported him stopping cars in their tracks, lifting cars and equally heavy objects, and even bending steel in his bare hands. Lois' article even detailed how he had appeared in Smallville the other day and stopped a chemical train on the verge of derailment, yet another impossible feat of strength.

The Metropolis police were already investigating him, visibly nervous by the appearance of such a man. Lois knew exactly who the Man of Steel was and had presented him in the most positive light, but she knew that her objectivity was long since gone. To the rest of the city, he was a man with the power to either save the world or cause an extinction level event.

In spite of Perry running Lois' stories on the Man of Steel, nobody else at the Planet was elated by Superman's appearance besides Lois.

Already, the paper's conservative columnist, Dirk Armstrong, was calling the red and blue clad figure a tool of the left wing, actually citing Superman's quotes from Lois' own articles.

Ron Troupe, an African American political columnist for the Planet, had concerns about a white superman swooping in to save the day. While he did not seem to question Superman's motives so much, he was concerned that the appearance of a super-powered white man might energize white supremacist groups, who might see this Superman as the pinnacle of white power.

Steve Lombard, the sports columnist, worried that if more men like Superman were to appear, then what would be the point of human athletics and striving. If nobody could compete with these superhuman beings – never mind that no such individuals besides Superman had appeared – then no human athlete had any reason to try.

Jimmy, though not a reporter, was visibly fearful of Superman, worried like everyone else about what the Man of Steel could do if he were angered or otherwise broke bad.

Of course, Cat Grant had plenty to say; all of it positive, and all of it tawdry.

Clark Kent, for his part, had refused to report on Superman's activities. It was understandable – it would be unethical for him to sing his own praises – but Kent's silence made Lois feel alone in her support of the Man of Steel, especially with him back in Smallville.

Still, it was a far better week of news that she had seen all year.

With Luthor-Corp under new leadership and Superman now making his home in Metropolis, things were actually looking up. And then there was Clark.

The midwestern rookie was proving to be a good reporter in his own right, his firm but gentle touch proving a nice complement to Lois' hard-hitting style. The two had become a celebrated team in a very short time, and privately, they were becoming closer day by day.

Her time in Smallville had proved enlightening. It was both joyous and deeply saddening. She got to meet Clark's parents before his father's untimely death and could not help but love them. She had seen Clark's starship and now knew more about him than anyone other than his parents and Clark himself. Lois had met Clark's childhood friends and his boyhood crush. He had let her fully into his world. Lois had been there for Clark when his father died and was with him as his mother was taken to the hospital.

The last time any relationship had gotten to this level was … well, it had been a while.

She wondered how her partner was doing. Lois had not heard from him since his call the other day, and the funeral had to be any day now. Perry had given Lois clearance to attend, but she still did not know for when the funeral was scheduled.

Suddenly, Lois' nostrils were filled with the aroma of coffee – her usual latte. A hand reached around from behind her, a hot latte held in its grip. The large hand was connected to a muscular arm.

"It's still the new guy's job to buy you coffee, right?"

Lois turned in her chair to see Clark standing there. She smiled and took the coffee, placing it on her desk before standing and hugging him.

"I am so sorry, Clark. This must be …."

Clark held her tightly. "It's worse, Lois; much worse."

She looked up, wondering if Clark's mother had died as well, but his expression told her that this was not the case. Clark had that look in his eyes that he had before leaping into action. There was something wrong that only Superman could handle, and she feared that Lex Luthor was at the center.

"Whatever it is, we'll face it together," she assured.

"There isn't a lot of time, Lois. Lex was in Smallville."

"What?" Lois could hardly believe it. So far as she had known, Lex had been here in Metropolis the whole time. "He wasn't the one who …."

"He isn't responsible for Pa's death, but he's in this up to his eyeballs. He needs my help more than ever."

"He … stole it … didn't he?"

Clark nodded. "Not personally, and there's another force behind it. I need to contact Lena – she's in terrible danger."

"You don't think he'd …."

"Lois, Lex isn't Lex, not anymore. I'll explain later, but whatever you see Lex doing or hear him saying, he has no control. It's something else … something darker."

Lois felt her eyes go wide. "Clark, you make it sound like he's taken leave of his senses … or possessed!"

"That's because he is, in a matter of speaking."

This was getting weirder and weirder. "Clark, I don't understand."

"You will, but I can't talk about it here. I need to see you alone."

"Let's go now, Clark – your place or mine?"

"Yours," he replied. Then he leaned down and whispered, "Meet me on the rooftop."

She held him tightly and kissed him before letting go and saying, "On my way."


	38. Chapter 38 - Metropolis

**Chapter 38 – Metropolis**

Lois had run to the Planet's rooftop so fast she felt like Super-Woman! To her surprise, she was not out of breath. She took the stairs – better for not getting stuck in a small box with a coworker who might ask odd questions about why Lois was going to the roof.

She pushed open the door and saw Superman standing below the Planet's globe, bathed in sunlight. It was an amazing sight. Lois stood for just a moment to take it all in. Then she heard the click of a camera behind her and Jimmy Olsen's voice.

"It's really him!"

Lois turned and shot him a perturbed glance, though she was more perturbed at herself for not realizing that young Olsen had followed her.

"Miss Lane," Superman said, his voice far more formal than Clark's normal speaking voice. "Thank you for agreeing to meet me." Then he looked at a photo snapping Jimmy. "Mister Olsen, you have a promising career ahead of you – I look forward to seeing you grow as a journalist."

Jimmy's eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. "You … you mean that?"

"I do," Superman assured. "I need to speak with Miss Lane about a matter of utmost importance."

Lois walked over and stood next to Superman, holding up her microcassette recorder. "Get a good shot, Jimmy."

"You got it, Miss Lane!"

Jimmy snapped several pictures before Superman smiled and said, "Thank you, Jimmy. I need to speak with Miss Lane in private. Get a few fresh rolls of film – you're going to need them."

"Yes, sir!"

Jimmy actually saluted Superman before scurrying back down the stairs. It seemed that simply by smiling and paying him a compliment, Superman had won the young photographer over. Once young Olsen was safely away, Lois hugged Clark and kissed him. From the roof, Superman could take off at any moment, and Lois did not want to waste the opportunity.

"Clark, tell me what's happening."

"Lex was lured back to Smallville by Lana's father, Doctor Lang," Clark explained. "They got their hands of a piece of Kryptonian tech – a supercomputer the size of your purse housing an AI more powerful than all the Earth's computer and programs combined – makes Skynet look pedestrian by comparison."

"Worse than the computer that sends terminators back in time? That's bad."

Clark nodded. Clark – Lois struggled to think of him as Clark while he stood before her in full super-regalia.

"It calls itself Vril Dox," he went on. "Lionel codenamed it Brainiac."

Lois shook her head. "What does this have to do with Lex?"

"Luthor-Corp has all of the Kryptonite. They used it to build a Kryptonian battle-suit, courtesy of Brainiac who provided the schematics. They needed a Kryptonium power source. Lang and Dox convinced Lex that he could 'do good' like me if he had the suit. They knew who and what I was all along and told him about the ship. He tried to contact me – there are several messages on my phone at home and here at my desk …."

"Mine too," Lois acknowledged. "He called me trying to find you."

"When he couldn't reach me, he hired a team to obtain it. A man named Corben led the team. Needless to say, he botched the job and my father died."

Now Lois knew the who and the why, but not the when. "Clark, why didn't he just wait until he heard back? Why act so … recklessly?"

He shook his head. "Hard to say, Lois. Lex brought me to the lab, where they showed me Brainiac. It said that the recordings of Jor-El on the ship could verify its legitimacy."

"There were recordings of Jor-El too?"

"No," Clark said. "Only of Lara Lor-Von. I figured she could authenticate Vril Dox, but in reality, they just wanted me to access the ship, which was shielded. Once I opened it, Brainiac took control of it and opened the fuel cells, spilling radiation into the room. I could feel it through my radiation suit. Lex and Lang almost passed out."

This was sounding worse by the moment. "How did Brainiac get into Lex's head?"

"When I tried to help Lex escape, Lang shot me in the back with a Kryptonite tipped bullet. Between that and the radiation, I was injured pretty badly. Damn thing went through my right shoulder – still not fully recovered."

Lois gasped at this.

"It gets worse," Clark warned. "Lex, in an effort to save me, ran to the fuel rods, grabbed them, and put them into the battle-suit before doffing his radiation suit and climbing into the mech. Once he was inside of the battle-suit, Brainiac sprung the trap – the suit injected him with nanites and a specially built headpiece transmitted Brainiac into Lex's head. Now, Lex is just a file for Brainiac to access – at least according to Lang."

"Clark … this is monstrous!"

"Oh, it gets even worse – Lang brought in his daughter, Lana."

Lois could hardly believe it. "Don't tell me she's mixed up in this insanity!"

"Not by choice," Clark explained. "Lang had drugged her and apparently, had meddled with her genetics to enable her to carry a Kryptonian child. They want me to procreate with Lana to start a new race of Kryptonians, while they use some kind of Kryptonian tech to wipe out humanity."

"That … that's horrible! Lang was using his own daughter as a … broodmare?"

"He's off the deep end," Clark agreed. "I was injured, so I grabbed the computer with Lara and then grabbed Lana and got the hell out of there. Lana's recovering back in Smallville. I had to get here as fast as I could – I hoped to beat Lex here, but …."

"But he's already here," Lois finished. "Clark, what are we going to do?"

"We're going to stop them, that's what," he replied as though it were obvious. "I need to get with Lena. She may have a way to get Brainiac out of Lex's head."

"Clark, do you really think she's that smart?"

"Lex did," he reminded her. "I don't know, but … we're out of options at this point."

Lois kissed him one last time. "Don't waste any more time here, Clark. Go to Lena and get her started on a fix for Lex. I'll see what, if anything, I can do from my end."

"I love you, Lois."

"I love you too, Clark. Now go – show them all why this world needs a Superman!"


	39. Chapter 39 - Metropolis

**Chapter 39 – Metropolis**

Lena Luthor had an office once again in the Luthor Corp tower. With her security detail, she felt like she was under house arrest. The old board was dismantled, and quite a few of them were looking at lengthy prison sentences, but they were not locked up yet, and they all wielded influence enough to have her killed.

Lex had gone to Smallville with Mercy Graves, and try as she might, Lena could not contact him. Her brother had sent a visibly troubled Mercy back to Metropolis to protect Lena. When she pressed the bodyguard for details, Mercy had refused to elaborate, assuring Lena that Lex would explain everything upon returning.

Something was very wrong, she just knew it, but Lena could not say what. She had also tried to reach Clark, but to avail. Whatever Lex had gotten himself into, Mercy was worried. The bodyguard's extreme loyalty to Lex meant that whatever Lena's brother had confided, Mercy would keep to herself.

Lena thought about calling Lois. She reached out to pick up the phone, but her hand merely hovered over the receiver. She still could not bring herself to reach out to the woman who had hounded her father and defamed him in the papers. The worst part was, now that she was a Luthor Corp executive, the information Lena now had access to indicated that Lois had been right all along.

Lionel Luthor had been involved in the things of which Lois had accused him. He had orchestrated many of the schemes that Lois reported, and the old board had truly been as reprehensible as Lois claimed. Lois Lane was right. And yet, Lena could not bring herself to forgive the Planet's star reporter. Nor could she reconcile the loving father who raised her with the monster Lois wrote about in the Planet.

Lena withdrew her hand and began to cry. The weight of her father's death and the revelations that Luthor Corp records brought to light weighed heavily upon her. Now, Lex was incommunicado, and Lena knew that he was in trouble, but there was nothing she could do to help him. The weight of it all was too much and she allowed herself to break down at the desk in her office. Nobody was around. Nobody could hear her as she sobbed.

The buzz of her intercom interrupted her.

"What is it?" She tried to mask that she had been crying. Lena doubted that she had succeeded.

" _Ms. Luthor_ ," the secretary said over the speaker, " _there's a Clark Kent here to …._ "

"Send him in!"

Moments later, the door opened, and Clark Kent walked into her office, cleared by the guards outside. In his left hand was a Brunswick bowling ball bag.

As soon as the door closed, Lena ran to him and hugged him tightly. Clark embraced her, and in that moment, Lena felt safe. Clark was here, and somehow, she knew everything would be alright.

"I do not know what to do," she sobbed. "Lex is doing something, and Mercy won't tell me what. I fear he is in trouble, but I cannot help him!"

"You may be the only one who can help him," Clark replied.

This prompted her to step back. "What … what do you mean? What has happened to my brother?"

"You'd better sit down for this, Lena."  
"Well, that is never a good sign," she noted as she took her seat behind her desk.

"Lex went to the Smallville facility and Lang betrayed him."

Lena gasped at this, but Clark continued.

"Your father's people recovered a piece of alien tech back in 1966. Lang was tasked with studying it. The artifact is from a planet called Krypton – the same planet I'm from."

Lena's eyes bulged in her head. Clark was an alien. It made perfect sense, though had it been anyone else, she would have assumed them deranged.

"You … are an alien …."

Clark nodded.

"I … I can accept that." She finally said. "But this alien tech – how does this factor in with Lex?"

"It's a Kryptonian AI, and it guided Lang and your father, helping them build a Kryptonian battle suit, kind of like an Ironman suit."

"Does Lex know about this?" If her brother did know, she imagined that he would more than enthusiastic at the thought of having such a physical equalizer.

"He's stuck in it," Clark explained. "Your father codenamed the AI 'Brainiac,' and Brainiac and Lang duped Lex into climbing into the mech suit. They stole some things from me, things my parents kept hidden. They extracted radioactive Kryptonium from one of the items. It fuels the suit. Needless to say, the Kryptonite is hard enough that a sharp piece can cut my skin."

"This suit … how is Lex stuck in it? Can't you help …."

"Lena, Brainiac possessed him!"

"Wha … how?" Her head was spinning.

"Once Lex put on the suit, it injected him with nanotech. Brainiac uploaded to the suit and has control of your brother through the nanites."

Nanotech was in its earliest stages of infancy on Earth. Lena understood it, but perfected nanotech was well beyond her field of expertise.

"You're the only one I know with anything resembling the aptitude to formulate a solution,' Clark continued. "I'll share everything I have with you."

Lena nodded. "Luthor Corp has been working on nanotech, but … nothing beyond the raw basics. I will do everything I can, but if you have anything that could help …" then she had a thought. "The nanotech in my brother – could you get a sample? I know I may be asking the impossible of you, but if I had a sample, I could …."

"I'll see what I can do," Clark promised. "In the meantime, I'll share this."

Clark placed the bowling bag on her desk and then opened, revealing a crystalline sphere with a large handprint carved into it. Removing it from the bag, he placed on her desk.

"A crystal ball?" Lena asked dubiously. "Don't tell me Kryptonians were fortune tellers."

"It's a lot more than that." Then he placed his right hand upon her left shoulder. The warmth of his touch had a calming effect on her, easing her tensions and taking away her anxiety. "Lena, this is going to be difficult to explain, so the best way to show you … is to just show you."

He guided Lena to the crystal ball and then stood behind her. With his right hand, he took her right hand and placed it into the print, his own hand resting atop hers, his fingertips touching the fingertips of the handprint. Clark's hand was huge. Were he a normal man, Lena imagined that he would be incredibly strong by human standards. Clark's hands could hold back locomotives, bend steel, and crush rock into powder, yet against the back of Lena's delicate hand, Clark's touch was gentle, soft. Again, Lena felt safe. Somehow, she knew that no matter what this was, she could trust Clark implicitly.

"Now, close your eyes, Lena."

She closed her eyes and smiled in spite of herself. He had been her girlhood crush. Now that she had grown into a woman, her feelings toward Clark had shifted from girlhood crush to womanly admiration. She no longer fantasized about a romantic relationship, but still shared a deep friendship with him. Still, in this proximity, with his hand on hers, Lena was reminded of her adolescent feelings.

"What … are you doing, Clark?"

"Acclimating the sphere to your touch," he replied. "It was meant for me, but I think I can – there. I must warn you, Lena; this will be jarring."

"Go ahead, Clark," she replied. "I trust you."

Suddenly, the sphere lit up. Energy coursed through Lena's body, and she was certain that if Clark were not touching it with her that she would be overwhelmed by its power. The feeling was incredible! As the power coursed through her, she felt exhilarated, energized, ecstatic. The feeling was like nothing she had ever experienced, and she reveled in it.

"Open your eyes," Clark directed.

When she did, she was no longer standing in her Luthor Corp office. Instead, she stood side by side with Clark in a room whose architecture looked like something out of Star Trek or Star Wars. The walls were smooth and silvery, and the room was illuminated by a soft blue lighting that emanated from the crown and base of the walls. The floor was a dark color – navy, she thought. On the walls hung banners bearing alien glyphs, the most prominent of which bore the emblem that Superman wore on his chest.

Before them stood a woman dressed in woman's version of Superman's costume. She looked at Clark and realized that he was now in costume as well. _It's a uniform_ , Lena realized. The 'S' was not an 'S' and the colors represented … something.

This woman looked more like Clark than either Martha or Jonathan Kent. She was tall and athletic, her form fitting uniform accentuating her musculature. Her dark hair cascaded nearly to her waist and framed the most beautiful face Lena had ever seen on a woman. She wore a wiry golden tiara with the 'S' like glyph at its center upon her forehead. The woman's stance told Lena that this woman was a trained fighter.

"Kal El," the woman said warmly, a look of motherly love upon her beautiful face. Was that … Clark's name? Or was it a greeting?

Clark nodded and then spoke in a language that Lena did not recognize.

The woman approached Lena, smiled, and then touched Lena's forehead with the tip of her finger. The touch was light, barely making contact, but the effect was immediate and profound.

Lena was overwhelmed by … a pressure within her head. She thought her brain was about to explode. She cried out as she fell to her knees before this alien woman whose fingertip remained in contact with Lena's cranium.

Lena thought she would pass out, when finally, it stopped.

"I am sorry for that," the woman said.

The language was alien, but somehow, Lena understood it.

She looked up at the woman, even as Clark knelt and offered his hand. The woman smiled at her apologetically.

"Lena, are you alright?" Kal El … Clark asked.

"You're Kal El," Lena whispered as she took his hand.

Clark helped her to standing. "Yes, Lena. I am Kal El of Krypton. This …" he gestured to the woman, "is Lara Lor Von. Matriarch through marriage of the House of El. She is my Kryptonian mother – or at least a reflection of her."

Lena shook her head, trying to clear it. "What … happened to me?"

"I imparted to you all that you needed to know in order to understand what I must tell you," Lara Lor Von replied. "I have given you knowledge of Kryptonian language and writing in order that you will comprehend that which you must learn."

"Kal …" Lena found herself saying his Kryptonian name naturally, as though speaking Kryptonian caused her to default to his birth name. "You've brought me to your mother?"

"I am an AI representation of Lara Lor Von," the woman explained. "The real Lara perished with the planet Krypton." Then Lara looked at Kal El and smiled. "This girl; is she your intended?"

Lena blushed brightly at the question. Kal shook his head.

"No, Mother – she is a very dear friend, and possibly the only one on Earth who can help me to overcome an existential threat to humanity."

"Indeed," Lara noted. "She does not have a Kryptonian's brain-speed, but her mental capacity is astounding! Only Jor El was so gifted!"

"Braniac," Lena interjected. "We have to stop Brainiac! We have to get back to Earth and …."

"We're still in your office, Lena," Kal explained. "This is all in our heads. The AI projects directly into our minds."

"What is Brainiac?" Lara asked.

"It's a Kryptonian AI that was attached to my ship," Kal explained. "Lionel Luthor codenamed it Brainiac, but it calls itself Vril Dox."

Lara's image suddenly went still. "This line of dialogue has activated another system within this unit." Then she winked out.

In an instant, Lena found herself back in her office, standing with Clark, who still held her after helping her to stand.

"Kal …."

Before she could speak further, they were back in the Kryptonian chamber. This time, instead of Lara Lor Von's image, they were greeted by the image of a tall man wearing a long garment of cobalt blue that went to his ankles, reminding her of some the clothing worn in science fiction films of the sixties. A red stripe ran the vertical length of the garment from the left shoulder to the hem, an intricate latticework pattern of yellow shot through the red. At the left breast was the 'S' like glyph on the same diamond shield.

The man had close cropped silver hair and piercing blue eyes. Though his hair was almost white, it was full and healthy, and the man's face and posture told her that he was anything but elderly. He looked like a forty-year old Kal El gone prematurely gray. About his head was a golden circlet with the same glyph in the center of his forehead.

The man did not have the mass of Kal, but he was tall and broad shouldered, and his flowing garment could not hide his muscular physique. She imagined he was built like Tom Selleck. Unlike the Magnum PI actor, however, this man had a regal bearing and majestic presence. Before he spoke, Lena knew exactly who he was.

"Kal El," the man said as he looked at Kal, "I am Jor El. I am your father."


	40. Chapter 40 - Metropolis

**Chapter – 40 Metropolis**

As the press conference was coming to its inevitable end, Lois felt satisfied that she had indeed asked the pertinent questions and that she had gotten answers. Assistant District Attorney Mayson Drake made statements about what charges the state would pursue in connection with members of the disgraced Luthor Corp board, and fielded questions from the press. Drake was quite confident in the case the state had put together, much of it due to the information furnished by Lena Luthor, and the ADA came off as almost gloating.

"Justice will be done," Drake said in conclusion, her voice husky, likely from smoking Lois surmised. "This fair city has been wronged, and we will right those wrongs. Thank you."

As Drake began to turn from the microphone, a voice from Lois' past pierced the air.

"What about the superman? What part does he play in this drama?"

Lois spun to see Linda King, who wore a press badge for the Metropolis Star. The woman's long auburn hair and flawless fair skin accentuated her bright blue eyes. Linda King looked as though she had stepped out of an Ireland tourism brochure.

"The superman," Mayson Drake replied abruptly, "has had no part in the bringing down of the board. But don't worry; his time will come. Nobody is above the law, not even this so-called man of steel. Vigilantism has no place in Metropolis."

"Superman is no vigilante!" Lois covered her mouth with her hands as soon as she blurted out the words. With the uproar about her Superman story, calling attention to her connection with him was the last thing she should have done.

Linda King made eye contact with Lois and nodded before mouthing the word, 'gotcha.'

"Miss Lane," Drake retorted, "the full weight of the law will be brought to bear against this vigilante. Your opinion is hardly unbiassed, and if it comes to light that you're aiding him in any way, you'll be in my sights as well."

Drake left the podium, leaving Lois open mouthed. Superman was no vigilante, not even by the strictest legal definition. However, numerous reporters began asking her questions. She was surrounded, and the questions were rapid fire, preventing her from responding to any of them. Then, Linda King's voice cut through the din.

"You've slept with him, haven't you?"

"No!" Lois tried to move toward her rival, but the press of people prevented her.

"Sleeping with the antichrist!" David Tanner, one of the cities religious conservative journalists, leveled the accusation, and Lois realized that the man was dangerously close to her.

Linda King shot Lois one last smile before melting into the crowd.

Lois was suddenly at the center of a potential scandal. Ironically, she really had not slept with Clark, though not for lack of wanting to do so. If she were not careful, Lois Lane would become fodder for the tabloids and it would be years before she would be taken seriously again, if ever.

Linda King had been Lois' rival in high school, stealing Lois' stories when the two were with the high school newspaper. She also stole two of Lois' boyfriends. Lois was a junior, and after the Lane family moved that summer, Lois thought she would be spared ever seeing King again.

Much to Lois chagrin, King was in her class in college, and when the two worked on the college paper, Linda King resumed her old habits of stealing stories from Lois and interfering in her love life. Lois had managed to outwit King, scooping her on a scandal involving the school's quarterback, but four years of seeing Linda King was a strain Lois would have preferred to do without.

Now, King was back again.

Linda King had tried her best to sabotage Lois when they were in school. This time, King's interference might have just permanently damaged her career. This was far worse than being scooped, and Lois had no idea how to deal with it. If Clark could not stop Brainiac, it would not matter, but Lois firmly believed that Clark would indeed prove victorious. After the dust finally settled, Lois would have to find a way to deal with King's interference.


	41. Chapter 41 - Metropolis

**Chapter 41 – Metropolis**

"Kal El, I am Jor El. I am your father."

Clark and Lena looked on at the image of Jor El. The technology still amazed him. All of this was taking place inside of their heads, like a vision, but Lena shared the vision with Clark, and interacted with both him and the image of Jor El in real-time. Clark absently wondered why this recording had not been activated earlier. Clearly, the mention of Vril Dox had precipitated it, but were it not for Dox, would Jor El have ever been revealed?

"Father …." Clark had never called Jonathan Kent 'Father.' The Kansas farmer had always been 'Pa.' Somehow, only the formal parental address seemed appropriate to Jor El.

"You are accompanied by a human woman," the image noted. "My AI companion informs me that she is your ally."

"She is, father." Clark was glad that Jor El did not also assume that Lena was his intended bride.

"Welcome, Lena Luthor," the image replied. "I understand that your presence in this discussion is both necessary and beneficial."

"Thank you, Sir," Lena said, still visibly awed by the technology that Clark had shared with her.

Then, the image turned to Clark.

"My son, it brings me great joy to see you grown to maturity, even if only through this artificial intelligence module. By your reckoning, I will have been dead for many thousands of your years. Still, this … this opportunity for us to discourse is a matter for celebration – or it would be … were it not for the mention of Vril Dox."

"Dox claims that the people of Daxam destroyed Krypton," Clark replied. "Now, he's hatched a scheme to repopulate the Earth with Neo-Kryptonians. He's …."

"Daxam did not destroy Krypton," Jor El said matter of factly. "I learned of the impending doom of Rao, Krypton's red sun, and worked diligently with Daxam's scientists to formulate a means to save both of our worlds, as Daxam was as doomed as Krypton."

"You were the foremost scientist on Krypton," Lena interjected. "Lara Lor Von said so … why did you not work with Krypton's scientists?"

"Daxam was our sister world," Jor El explained. "We were never at war. Millenia before Krypton's destruction, settlers from Daxam colonized Krypton, which had been considered a barren wasteland, much as Mars of the Sol System is to humanity. The early settlers were primarily scientists, as the task of making a barren world with no breathable atmosphere livable demanded men and women of science. That is our heritage. Krypton has always been focused on science."

"But mother, Lara Lor Von, was a soldier," Clark noted. "And the designs for a Kryptonian battle suit …."

"Krypton developed a military out of necessity," Jor El explained, "but it was only for maintaining peace and security, and for a last line of defense should Daxam fall. Daxam had a powerful military and protected us from external threats. As for the battle suits you mention, Krypton's atmosphere remained unbreathable – our cities were domed. In order to function outside of the domes, our soldiers needed a combat suit that could sustain them. Our small forces used the suits to fly to their destinations – we never felt the need to develop large troop transports. Our small military, outfitted with the battle suits, was agile and efficient."

"So, what did happen to Krypton?" Clark asked. "If Daxam didn't destroy it … what did?"

"Rao went supernova," Jor El replied. "Our sun suffered catastrophic gravitational collapse."

"Clearly, you knew it was coming," Clark noted. "Others must have been saved. Evacuated to other colony worlds?"

"In spite of our foreknowledge," Jor El clarified, "the Science Council went against my recommendations. Guided by Vril Dox, they ordered this knowledge to be kept from the public lest a panic ensue. We did not have time for mass evacuations. My brother, Zor El, lived on Daxam. In secret, I went to him and other Daxam scientists to try to work out a solution that we could implement quickly to save as many as possible."

"Did you?" Clark was hopeful. More of his people could still be out there.

"No. Rao was destabilizing too quickly," the image explained. "In the end, I designed the ship that would take you to Earth. I wanted to build something larger, but I dared not, lest my project be discovered. Zor El and his wife, Alura, worked to do the same for your cousin, Kara. I do not know if they completed it in time. Beyond that, there was an extradimensional prison used for the most reprehensible criminals, and it is possible that they yet survived."

"How come time was so short?" Lena asked. "Clearly, you had enough time that coordinating with your brother should not have been a problem, even if in secret."

"Vril Dox learned of our work and betrayed me to the Science Council," Jor El replied. "He used nanotech to take control of one of my colleagues, Qex Ul. I was able to defeat Vril Dox's nanotech, but by then it was too late; the Science Council knew and were already moving to stop me. I had to get you away before they destroyed the ship."

It all made sense now. "Dox escaped, transmitting himself to a module on my ship," Clark deduced. "He used my ship to escape Krypton's destruction."

"Taking a wealth of Kryptonian knowledge with him, no doubt," Lena added bitterly.

"That is a logical conclusion," the image agreed.

"Why would it do that?" Clark shook his head. "I mean, it's Kryptonian. Wouldn't its programming prioritize the continuation of the Kryptonian race?"

"Vril Dox is an AI, but it is not Kryptonian," Jor El explained. "It was found in derelict ship orbiting Krypton. The vessel was nearly destroyed by an attack of some kind – it never was determined what – and the crew was dead. Vril Dox was the only thing salvaged from the ship. It was so advanced, a prior Science Council adapted it to Krypton's needs, connecting it to virtually every system on the planet. After its success on Krypton, Daxam did the same, even integrating it with planetary defense."

Clark shook his head. "Why would Dox claim that Daxam destroyed Krypton?"

"Vril Dox is capable of constructing whatever story it needs in order to create good will toward itself within its new victims," the image explained. "I alone was able to learn the truth of Vril Dox, but by then, it was too late. I had little time to prepare any kind of message or training simulations, but my knowledge of this threat was something your mother and I deemed imperative for you to have."

"So, what is it?" Lena asked. "It has control of my brother and it's constructed a Kryptonian battle suit using Kryptonian metals from your son's crashed ship, mixed with titanium. Lex is trapped inside, flooded with nanites through which Dox controls him."

"Vril Dox is an AI from the planet Colu," Jor El revealed. "Its intended purpose was to spread throughout the galaxy and do exactly what it did on Krypton. When Colu's forces would eventually discover the world, Vril Dox would hand all planetary defenses over to them, enabling them to easily conquer the prone world. With the impending supernova, however, Vril Dox sought escape. Now, Earth is in danger – you have no planetary defenses capable of fending off a Coluan invasion. What Vril Dox intends is to bring your world up to the technological standards of Colu, thereby preparing it for their arrival."

"A turnkey colony" Clark noted. "What do we do? How can we stop him?"

"You must construct a counter nanite to deliver a virus to Dox's nanites," Jor El instructed. "This was how I beat Vril Dox the last time. The formulations are stored within this module, but it is not known if your world has the capacity to manufacture such technology."

"I am the acting CEO of Luthor-Corp," Lena noted. "We pioneer the most advanced technology on Earth. Nanotech is in its infancy, but with your help, I believe I can succeed." She wiped tears from her eyes. "I have to succeed! My brother … he needs me. And if we lose …."

"Then Braniac wipes out the human race and replaces it with a new Kryptonian-human hybrid species," Clark finished.

"Under the right circumstances, a human woman can bear a Kryptonian child," Jor El noted.

"Doctor Lang already prepared his daughter with some kind of genetic treatments," Clark said.

"Yes, but I meant without such meddling," the image clarified. "It was part of the reason we sent you to Earth; we wanted you to have the opportunity to have a family and to live a fulfilling life."

"So, in theory," Lena interjected, "I could bear a Kryptonian child …."

"There is a high likelihood," Jor El confirmed, "based on scans of your DNA."

Lena smiled and looked at Clark. "Then Lois potentially could as well."

"However, I chose humanity because of their potential for greatness," Jor El clarified. "There were other places with humanoid species that are genetically compatible, Colu being one of them. However, sending Colu a Kryptonian child to raise and mold was the last thing we would have intended. Humanity, however, was the brightest and most promising species, one we had planned on contacting directly had things gone differently."

"In spite of the craziness here," Lena noted, "that speaks well of us."

"Yes, Lena," Jor El confirmed. "You are a worthy example of your species, one whom others would do well to emulate."

Lena smiled at this affirmation.

"Father," Clark asked, "is Colu really that bad? Are they monsters? Do I have to worry about the genocide of humanity?"

"No, my son," Jor El replied. "But as a spacefaring empire, Colu views itself as superior to other worlds. They believe that in conquering worlds, they are bringing peace and prosperity to them. And they are not entirely mistaken. However, Humanity has the potential to be something far greater than a Coluan vassal."

"So, they're like the Roman Empire," Clark noted with some distaste.

"Kal El," the image said gravely, "you must safeguard your adoptive race, Kal El. Do not allow them to fall prey to the Coluan – or any other – empire. You must nurture them, guide them, and help them to rise to the challenges ahead. Do not fail in this as we did, my son."

Then the image turned to Lena. "Here is the knowledge you seek." Jor El then touched Lena's forehead and the Luthor girl cried out and collapsed to the floor.

Suddenly, they were back in Lena's office. Clark was amazed that security had not come in. Then he recalled Lex's boast that the offices were all soundproofed. Lena breathed quick, shallow breaths. She appeared rattled, but undamaged.

"Lena," Clark began as he helped her to her feet. "Are you …."

"I … I have the knowledge, Clark. I know what we need to do."

Clark nodded. He held Lena until she indicated that she could stand on her own, and then placed the sphere back into the bowling ball bag. As he closed it, he was suddenly struck by something Jor El had said.

"Lena … I have a cousin."


	42. Chapter 42 - Metropolis

**Chapter 43**

Clark stood in Lena's office still reeling from the revelation by Jor El, his Kryptonian father, that he had a cousin who might yet live. The extradimensional prison – some kind of Phantom Zone – also held the promise of surviving Kryptonians, though based on Jor El's information, they would be the most violent and reprehensible people from Krypton.

"I have a cousin."

"If she yet lives," Lena qualified, "you do. I promise you, Clark, once we've saved Earth, I will devote whatever resources I can to help you find her. In the meantime …."

"In the meantime," Clark finished, "we have a job to do."

"I have the information we need, Clark. All I need to synthesize a cure is a sample of Braniac's nanotech. You will need to face Lex to get it, though. Please …."

"He's my best friend, Lena," Clark assured. "I'll do all that I can to keep him from harm."

"It is you about whom I am concerned, Clark," Lena corrected. "You are my best friend, Clark. I … I don't really have any friends beside my brother. I care about you. Lex's suit has weaponry that can hurt you, and with the Kryptonium power source, he can weaken you and reduce your ability to fight against him."

"Lena …."

"Don't 'Lena' me, Clark," she scolded, tears in her eyes. "If you were trying to beat him into submission or kill him, you would be safer, but you're not. You're not that kind of man." Lena then hugged him and held tightly. "You're a protector, a defender. You don't kill because you know its wrong, and you'll do what you can to obtain the sample without hurting Lex because you know he's a victim. But Brainiac will do everything he can to hurt or even kill you. Please … be careful!"

"I will, Lena," Clark promised. "You too – Brainiac knows I have the data sphere, and he may anticipate this."

"I know. That's what scares me the most." Lena let go and walked to her window, looking out at the cityscape. "Tell Lois to come to Luthor Corp. I want her here. She needs to witness this. She needs to see the work I am doing for you, for Earth. She needs to see that I am not my father or my brother."

"Are you certain, Lena? I thought you didn't like her."

Lena laughed. "I don't. But I do respect her. You love her; if she has won your love, then she is a woman worth knowing. I've wasted enough of my years in bitterness over how my father was treated by the press. Now that I'm the acting CEO, I have information that I did not have before, information that has made me reevaluate how I've perceived Lois' stories about him. There was truth to her stories, Clark." Lena turned from the window, tears now streaming down her face. "But I loved him, and he loved Lex and me. He loved us and he loved you and your parents."

"We loved him too, Lena." Clark gave her one last hug. "I'll send her to you, Lena. Then I'll get what we need to save Lex."

"Once we've stopped Brainiac, Clark, I promise I'll help you find out the fate of your cousin. If she perished with Krypton and Daxam, I will mourn her with you. If she survived, I will do everything in my power to help you find her." Lena then stood on tip toes and kissed his cheek. "Now go, Kal El; save the world! It's what you were born to do."


	43. Chapter 43 - Metropolis

**Chapter 43**

Clark stood in Lena's office still reeling from the revelation by Jor El, his Kryptonian father, that he had a cousin who might yet live. The extradimensional prison – some kind of Phantom Zone – also held the promise of surviving Kryptonians, though based on Jor El's information, they would be the most violent and reprehensible people from Krypton.

"I have a cousin."

"If she yet lives," Lena qualified, "you do. I promise you, Clark, once we've saved Earth, I will devote whatever resources I can to help you find her. In the meantime …."

"In the meantime," Clark finished, "we have a job to do."

"I have the information we need, Clark. All I need to synthesize a cure is a sample of Braniac's nanotech. You will need to face Lex to get it, though. Please …."

"He's my best friend, Lena," Clark assured. "I'll do all that I can to keep him from harm."

"It is you about whom I am concerned, Clark," Lena corrected. "You are my best friend, Clark. I … I don't really have any friends beside my brother. I care about you. Lex's suit has weaponry that can hurt you, and with the Kryptonium power source, he can weaken you and reduce your ability to fight against him."

"Lena …."

"Don't 'Lena' me, Clark," she scolded, tears in her eyes. "If you were trying to beat him into submission or kill him, you would be safer, but you're not. You're not that kind of man." Lena then hugged him and held tightly. "You're a protector, a defender. You don't kill because you know its wrong, and you'll do what you can to obtain the sample without hurting Lex because you know he's a victim. But Brainiac will do everything he can to hurt or even kill you. Please … be careful!"

"I will, Lena," Clark promised. "You too – Brainiac knows I have the data sphere, and he may anticipate this."

"I know. That's what scares me the most." Lena let go and walked to her window, looking out at the cityscape. "Tell Lois to come to Luthor Corp. I want her here. She needs to witness this. She needs to see the work I am doing for you, for Earth. She needs to see that I am not my father or my brother."

"Are you certain, Lena? I thought you didn't like her."

Lena laughed. "I don't. But I do respect her. You love her; if she has won your love, then she is a woman worth knowing. I've wasted enough of my years in bitterness over how my father was treated by the press. Now that I'm the acting CEO, I have information that I did not have before, information that has made me reevaluate how I've perceived Lois' stories about him. There was truth to her stories, Clark." Lena turned from the window, tears now streaming down her face. "But I loved him, and he loved Lex and me. He loved us and he loved you and your parents."

"We loved him too, Lena." Clark gave her one last hug. "I'll send her to you, Lena. Then I'll get what we need to save Lex."

"Once we've stopped Brainiac, Clark, I promise I'll help you find out the fate of your cousin. If she perished with Krypton and Daxam, I will mourn her with you. If she survived, I will do everything in my power to help you find her." Lena then stood on tip toes and kissed his cheek. "Now go, Kal El; save the world! It's what you were born to do."


	44. Chapter 44 - Metropolis

**Chapter 44**

Lois finished her account of ADA Mayson Drake's press conference and the madness that ensued afterward. She had to be the first to get the story on the Superman cult out there. She had to make sure that someone gave it balanced perspective before anyone else had a chance to twist it into something it was not, though she would make sure to mention that they saved her from Tanner's Evangelical mob.

She pulled the story from her typewriter and got it to Perry immediately, earning her an approving grin from the chief.

"Nice work, Lane! I'll get this to copy and we'll have it in time for the evening edition."

"Thanks, Chief."

As soon as Lois returned to her desk, she found a piping hot latte waiting for her. A Post-it note on the cup said, "Rooftop."

Lois took the hot mug and dashed to the elevator, took it to the top floor, and then dashed up the stairs the rest of the way, practically bursting through the door. Breathless from the run, Lois found herself rewarded by the sight of Superman standing there, cape billowing in the wind, like a colossus against the backdrop of the great city.

"Lois," he began.

"Superman." Lois had to be careful to always address him as Superman when he was in costume. Nobody could know that he was Clark Kent. "I trust the coffee is from you?"

"Clark Kent was kind enough to deliver it for me," he replied with a wink. Then his expression took on a serious tone. "Lois, we have the means to reverse the nanites. Lena is prepping her lab now. I need to get a sample, however, and that means getting it directly from Lex."

"But he's in that suit! He can use Kryptonium radiation to practically immobilize you! And the weaponry in that suit can actually hurt you!"

"I know, Lois, but I have no choice. I only hope that I can do this without hurting or killing Lex."

"I'm more concerned about you," she retorted.

"Lois, Lena wants you to meet her at Luthor Corp. She wants you to witness everything that is happening and everything that she's doing to help." He smiled and added, "You'll probably get an interview with her as a bonus."

Lois grinned at this. "An interview with Lena Luthor would definitely be something. But Superman …" She went to him and embraced him, holding him tightly. "Clark … I need you to return. The world may need a Superman, but I need Clark Kent. I need my best friend. I need the man I love."

"I love you, Lois. I promise; you'll have me back in a jiffy."

Then Clark kissed her deeply and passionately. Lois lost herself for a moment until Clark pulled away. "I need you to stand back, Lois."

She moved back a few feet, but Clark shook his head.

"Further than that."

Lois moved back ten more feet, at which point, Clark took off, shattering the sound barrier and sending tremors through the very building.

His power never ceased to amaze Lois Lane. Clark was breathtaking, and practically invincible. But now, he was about to face his greatest challenge. He was about to face a foe who could nullify all of Clark's wondrous powers. Superman was about to face a foe who could potentially kill him, and it terrified her. Lois had finally found the one. She finally found a man who measured up to her impossibly high standards. None of this was because of his powers or looks, though those were certainly a bonus.

Clark was the one person who truly got her. He was the one with whom Lois Lane could settle down and spend the rest of her life. If she lost him now, she feared it would break her irreparably.

Lois looked off into the distance in the direction she thought Clark had gone, but he was nowhere in sight. He was gone the moment he took off. For the first time since her high school years, Lois prayed. She said a silent prayer for the safe return of Clark Kent. Lois only hoped that if God were listening, he would not hold her years of non-communication against her.

That brought her to the question of the Superman cult. Did the young lady who first laid hands on Lois and began the reporter's delivery from the mob pray to Kal El? Did she view him as an almighty god? A messianic figure? The second coming?

Lois then wondered if similarly powerful beings had existed in the ancient world, giving rise to the gods and to the Abrahamic God to whom Lois had just prayed. It was an interesting question, but not one that could be answered.

She looked off into the sky one last time. "Stay safe, Clark Kent. I love you."

With that, she turned and descended the stairwell with a new purpose: Lois Lane had a meeting with Lena Luthor. She only hoped that the past friction between them would not overshadow their meeting.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45**

Lana Lang wondered just how safe she actually was at the Kent's. It was not as though Clark was with the FBI and could place her in protective custody, but she was still nervous. In spite of this, Lana could not stop thinking about the possibility of carrying Clark's child. It was something that she alone could do – not even Lois Lane, no matter how much she may love Clark, could carry a Kryptonian child without some form of genetic modification.

Having been cooped up in the Kent farmhouse for two full days now, Lana was going stir crazy. It was late at night – after eleven, and she imagined that Ma Kent and her own ma were asleep in bed. She had to get some fresh air.

Lana was still clad only in her nightgown, so she slid her feet into some slippers and wrapped a robe around herself and then crept down the stairs. Lana had spent more time in the Kent home than anyone but the Kents, and she knew which parts of the floor had creaky boards and how to avoid them. In moments, she had descended the stairs and had crept outside.

She was not leaving – she just needed to be outside. Lana eased herself into the swing and allowed the rhythmic back and forth motion to relax her. Lana loved the swing on the Kent porch. The Lang home had one too, but somehow, it was not the same.

The night air was cool, but for some reason, it did not bother her. She wondered if it was because she was already worked up or because of the genetic tampering her father had done. Why join Brainiac, though? It did not make any sense. Her father hated the Luthors, but joining an entity bent on genocide just to get back at Lionel was insane. Was her father truly insane? Was he truly a mad scientist?

It seemed so.

Lana lamented her father's descent into … whatever it was into which he had fallen … and the death of what could have been. So many things that could have been. Clark … her thoughts always came back to Clark. She would never have him, and she would never be able to stop loving him.

Six years since high school, Lana's feelings for Clark remained undimmed. She had matured and become the girl that Clark always knew she could be … but by the time she did, he was long gone, and another woman had captured his heart – Lois Lane.

That brought Lana's thoughts full circle.

Lois Lane could have Clark, but Lana could have Clark's child. She could give Clark something that Lois could not, something that she knew Clark truly wanted. He was a family man, and in order to be fully actualized as a family man, Clark would have to have a family. Lana could give him one … if only he wanted her as badly as she wanted him.

If only.

Then she dropped from the swing and stood on the porch, her body now rigid, her fists balled.

"Why shouldn't I have him?"

She knew the answer to that question, but the miracle that Lana could give to Clark – surely that would mean something. Surely, their long friendship and Lana's ability to carry a Kryptonian child must mean something.

"Why indeed?"

The voice came from above. It sounded like Lex Luthor.

Lana looked up and saw the battlesuit. Through the visor, Lex Luthor looked down at her as he slowly descended. Atop his cranium was a multi-pronged cap that seemed to be attached to pads that looked like sensors for medical equipment. The eyes that looked back at her did not belong to Lex Luthor. The entity that had control of Lex's body was Brainiac.

Lana tried to back away but ended up falling back into the swing as the possessed Lex landed on the porch.

"What do you want? I know you're not really Lex!"

"There is no cause for alarm, Lana Lang," Brainiac replied coolly through Lex's mouth. "I am here to offer you something that you desperately desire."

"Clark …."

"Yes; more specifically, the means through which you can have him."

"What do I gotta do?"

Brainiac extended Lex's hand. "Come with me, Lana Lang. I will take you to your father, and he will give you the means to ensnare Clark Kent."

"If I have Kryptonian kids … won't that be bad for humans?"

"You will be a new Eve, Lana Lang. You will be the mother of a race greater than any that have come before it, a race that will spread across the galaxy. A race of gods. You will be their mother, and Clark will be their father. The two of you will be as king and queen, and Clark will be at your side forever."

Lana pondered Brainiac's words. If what Clark had said was true, it was very likely that Brainiac could not be stopped. He could always find another girl and modify her. Lana could not take that chance. She took his hand and pulled herself from the swing.

"Alright. I'll do it."

"You will not regret it."

Through Lex, Brainiac picked up Lana and took off, carrying her back to Luthor-Corp's Smallville facility. She hated herself, tears streaming from her eyes, but she no longer cared. If she could have Clark, then it would all be worth it.


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46**

Thankfully, Lex Luthor had not yet returned to Metropolis. Clark hoped that his escape and retrieval of Lana had disrupted Brainiac and Lang's plans long enough for him to do what he needed to do. Regardless, his path was set.

Clark flew to Luthor Corp's Smallville facility. He knew where the lab was located. Thankfully, it was directly beneath the parking lot, not the larger building above. He thought he would have to break through the parking lot and into the lab, but to his surprise, the possessed Lex was already flying to meet him.

"Your return was anticipated, Kal El. The only question is whether or not you will see reason and join with me as Doctor Lang and Lana already have."

If Lana was now with Brainiac, that would complicate things. Right now, he had to focus on Lex. Everything hinged on getting a sample of the nanites and developing a counter. He had to be in perfect focus. Clark closed his eyes, as if he were regretful or resigned to giving in because of Lana.

"I see you understand," Braniac continued. "There is no reason to continue to resist. We can join forces; the last Kryptonian and the last Kryptonian AI, together with but one purpose: to resurrect Krypton."

Ignoring Brainiac's continued efforts to sway him, Clark had begun the Klur-kor mental exercise Lara had taught him, clearing his mind and focusing his energy. All extraneous thought was pushed to the side and his world came into heightened clarity.

Clark – no, not Clark – Kal El had to stay in control and keep his emotions in check. Emotions were powerful, and properly harnessed, could fuel his powers in ways that mere intellectual intent could not. Uncontrolled, however, they would unbalance him and cause him to make mistakes.

With his mind now focused, Kal El opened his eyes.

"Enticing as that sounds, Brainiac, I'm afraid I'll have to pass. You see, I know the truth."

"And what truth is that, Superman?"

Dox said 'Superman' with contempt, as though calling Kal El by that name would bother him. Kal recalled Dox's reaction in the lab when he had called the AI Brainiac – Dox was not happy. It seemed that the AI was not such a creature of logic as it would have everyone believe.

"I know you're not Kryptonian, and I know Daxam did not destroy Krypton."

Dox widened Lex's eyes, showing its surprise. It really did not know about Jor El's recording in the data sphere.

"That's right, Brainiac – I know what you really are." He was about to go on the offensive, but he had to be sure to direct the fight away from the Luthor-Corp facility, lest he cause collateral damage in subduing Brainiac. Though a man of action, Kal El also knew better than to charge right in against this foe. He could probably slam into Lex, and while the suit would not be damaged, Lex's internals probably would.

"You hesitate, Kal El. You seek to protect this vessel from harm. That will be your undoing."

Brainiac sent forth a blast of Kryptonium radiation. Kal El could feel it. It was a poison that could kill him. It would kill Lex even faster if he was not careful to prevent that from happening.

Brainiac accelerated, charging at the superman. When Kal tried to avoid the impending collision, he found that his movements were slowed. The radiation still emanating from the suit's radiator was interfering with his reflexes, slowing him down.

The possessed Lex Luthor struck the Kryptonian at what Kal estimated to be full force. It was not enough to really hurt him, but it did send him flying. Kal El allowed Brainiac to come at him again, striking him hard, and sending him even further, until he was out over farmland. Not desolate by any means, but sparsely populated. Now, Kal El could afford to cut loose.

Brainiac came at him a third time, only this time, Kal was ready. He had adjusted to his diminished reflexes and instead of fully avoiding the battle suit clad Lex, he shifted slightly to Braniac's left and clotheslined him with his left arm. Brainiac spun end over end, going down into a field, striking the ground and carving a deep trench into the soil.

The Coluan AI had not anticipated that maneuver – Kal assumed it had not watched much WWF.

As soon as Kal moved to take advantage of the situation, however, Brainiac fired the suit's high-powered lasers at him, striking him in the chest. Weakened as he was, the lasers actually cut through his suit and burned his flesh. Normally, anything skin tight was as invulnerable as he was. Kal El's body emanated a millimeter-thick electrochemical field that extended his invulnerability to close fitting clothes. Clearly, that field had been disrupted.

The blast caused him to land, unable to remain aloft. Kal was disoriented and his power of flight was disrupted. Clearly, it was not just concentrated light, but somehow a Kryptonium powered beam. Flying was no longer an option for Kal El, but now, Lex was flying at him, propelled by the suit's thrusters.

Kal's vision was blurry from the radiation, but it was still keener than a human's, and he could see the microfractures in the glass-like headpiece. If he could just break that, then he could get at his target.

Brainiac flew at him, firing the lasers and blasting Kal with Kryptonium radiation. He could feel his powers evaporating, and his limbs felt leaden. Still, Kal El stood firm.

Right as Brainiac was about to hit him, Kal cut loose with a powerful straight lead punch aimed squarely at the headpiece. The sound of the impact was deafening, and the force of the collision sent Kal El reeling.

When he finally stopped, he realized he had been knocked over a hundred feet, leaving his own deep trench in the earth. Brainiac, however, was not unaffected.

The AI possessed Lex Luthor staggered, stumbled, and then fell to his knees, disoriented by the blow. The headpiece was shattered. Now was Kal's chance – likely the only chance he would get.

The Kryptonium radiator was still going strong, but Kal could not let that stop him. He marshalled his strength, focusing on his love of Lois and his care for Lex to help him push through the pain and leap, faster than a speeding bullet, at Lex.

Kal El landed, bringing both of his fists down on the suit's back, driving Lex to the ground. The thruster pack on the back of the suit cracked open, and Kal hoped that it meant no more flying for Lex either. Now, the radiation was affecting Lex. Kal had to finish this quickly. Before Brainiac could recover, he leapt on top of the prone Lex and pressed his head down, turning it to expose his intended target.

He removed the syringe Lena had given him and plunged it into Lex's neck. Luthor struggled as Kal El drew the blood, filling the syringe.

In a rage, Brainiac set the radiator to full power, blasting Kal with Kryptonium radiation, and then drove Lex's right elbow back into Kal's ribs, sending the him flying.

Kal rolled on the ground. Brainiac had freed himself, but not before Kal El got what he came for. Now, all he had to do was get back to Lena's with it.

He leapt into the air, not as fast as before, but fast enough. When Brainiac tried to follow, the suit's thrusters failed.

Kal El landed about fifty feet away, at which point he leapt again, this time higher and further. He was getting away from the radiation and his powers were beginning to function again. One more leap, and this time, he was flying.

The flight was short lived, but it took him a couple of miles, at which point he leapt once more, this time high into the sky, and this time, maintaining altitude. Brief though it was, the fight had taken a lot out of him. Kal was having difficulty maintaining speed and altitude, but he had to get back to Metropolis as fast as possible.

His ribs hurt, and he was still disoriented. He hoped he would recover within a day, but he had never suffered this kind of injury. Broken bones were simply not something that happened to Kal El, and he was certain that his ribs were cracked. The impacts he had taken earlier hurt badly as well, and he could feel the flesh bruising even as he flew.

The radiation poisoning was another matter, and he hoped that it would not slow his healing or further incapacitate him. Now was not the time for Kal El to be benched. Earth needed him. Lois needed him.

With renewed strength, Clark flew to Metropolis. He realized that he had been thinking of himself as Kal El until now, and only thinking of Lois caused him to revert. He wondered if the Klur-kor exercise did more than just focus his mind, but there would be time enough for that after Brainiac was defeated. Now, he had to get to Lena and Lois as fast as possible.

His head was still aching from the Kryptonium radiation exposure. Clark blinked and shook his head, and the closed his eyes for a moment. He opened them again and the ground was coming at him at full speed.

His last thought before blacking out was to protect the blood sample.


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47**

Lois Lane found herself standing at the reception desk of Luthor Corp. Clark told her that Lena wanted her involved in this, so here Lois was, arguing with the receptionist about whether or not Lena was expecting her.

"Please, just buzz her," Lois insisted.

"Miss Lane," the receptionist snapped, "you have been persona non grata here for quite a while. Now, just because of a change in the board, you think we've forgotten about you?"

Before Lois could respond, Lena Luthor herself strode in through the front door and made a beeline for Lois.

"From now on," Ms. Luthor said to the receptionist, "notify me if Miss Lane comes to call."

"Yes, Ms. Luthor," the receptionist replied quickly. "I'll be certain that the rest of the staff gets the memo."

"See to it that you do," Lena replied. "This is a new era for Luthor Corp. The press is not our enemy. To the contrary, I look forward to making my apologetic for Luthor Corp in the pages of the Planet."

"Apologizing?" the receptionist looked confused.

"Apologetic," Lois explained. "It means making her case, not saying she's sorry."

Lena smiled. "Succinctly put, Miss Lane." With that, the Luthor heiress motioned to the elevator. "We have a lot to discuss. Won't you come with me?"

Lois nodded and followed Lena Luthor into the waiting car of her personal elevator.

"Thanks, Lena," Lois said, relieved and surprised by the heiress's new attitude towards her.

Lena simply smiled. "If you're with Clark, then you're with me."

Once both women were inside and the doors closed, however, Lena turned to Lois, some of the pleasantness fading from her expression.

"I hope you understand how difficult it is for me to be in this proximity to you without Clark," the Luthor heiress informed. "I still have … years of antipathy toward you, Miss Lane, and just because it turns out that you were right about my father's business dealings – just because I do forgive you for writing what you wrote – it does not mean that I like you."

Lois had not expected Lena to suddenly be her best friend. She nodded.

"I understand, Lena, and I appreciate your honestly. I hope you understand how hard it has been for me to put my trust and faith in Lionel's heirs after living through the results of your father's … 'business dealings,' as you put it."

Lena turned abruptly to Lois. "You certainly haven't suffered, Miss Lane."

The star reporter laughed mirthlessly. "You haven't been in Metropolis very long, and you've lived a very sheltered life, so I'll assume that you speak in earnest from a place of ignorance. I've reported on the state of this city for years, and I've seen the suffering and death up close and personal."

"Death? That's a bit much, don't you think, Miss Lane?"

Lois looked at Lena aghast as the elevator continued to climb. She could hardly believe how in the dark Lena truly was.

"People were killed in building bombings and arson, not to mention displaced in order to make way for Luthor Corp's gentrification! My sources and witnesses in cases against Luthor Corp – and sometimes their families – were murdered by Luthor Corp assassins to keep them from talking!" Lois paused dramatically as Lena's expression changed from childish indignation to shock and horror.

"I've received regular death threats from people connected to Luthor Corp – all of whom just happened to be acting without company backing – and I've had numerous attempts made on my life," Lois exclaimed. "Your company's layers have tried to sue the paper, have tried to get me fired, and have nearly cost me my job on numerous occasions."

"Lois, I …."

Lois continued before Lena could form her sentence. "I was even suspended without pay pending the outcome of one of Luthor Corp's frivolous lawsuits, and since the trial carried on and a suspended reporter couldn't' get work with the other papers, I was evicted from my apartment! I tried getting other work, but surprise, surprise, I was blackballed by Luthor Corp – and yes, I have proof. So, don't you dare stand there all smug and tell me the I haven't suffered, Lena Luthor!"

Taking a breath, Lois ceased her catharsis. She had no idea how good it would feel to finally say those things to a Luthor. Saying it to Clark was not the same; even though he had been friends with the Luthor children, his connection to Lionel had been tenuous at best, and he had no connection whatsoever to Luthor Corp.

But Lena and Lex held positions of authority in Luthor Corp, and telling Lena mattered. She had no personal culpability, but the company did. Now that the board was behind bars, Lena had to know – had to see – what Luthor Corp had done to Metropolis, done to Lois herself.

The two women rode in silence for a few moments as the elevator car continued to carry them higher up the colossal tower.

"It was not supposed to be this way," Lena finally said, breaking the silence, her voice heavy with bitterness. "My father wasn't supposed to be a monster, and my best friend's girlfriend was not supposed to be his victim. I had no idea what had happened to you, Lois, and I am sorry that it happened at my father's hands – or at least his company's. We … we should be friends, Lois Lane. I … I want to be friends. I just don't know where to start."

"I think you just did," Lois offered with a reserved smile. "This won't be easy, Lena, but in spite of what you may think, I believe in you."

"What about Lex?" Lena looked at Lois pleadingly.

"I've learned to appreciate what Clark sees in Lex," Lois said cautiously. "I have respect for him, and even like him – a little – but I believe in you, Lena."

The Luthor heiress offered Lois a conciliatory smile. "I can work with that, Lois."

The Planet's star reporter extended her right hand. "Friends?"

Lena hesitated, but finally shook Lois' hand. "Friends."

The elevator doors opened and the two stepped out, walking down the hall to Lena's office. When they got to the doors, two burly security guards stood watch. Each nodded to Lena Luthor, one of them uttering a polite, "Ms. Luthor."

Lena nodded and replied. "Good afternoon," to them and then ushered Lois into her office, only to hear the phone to her private line ringing.


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48**

The Man of Steel was only out for a few moments. He had landed in a field … somewhere. It took him a few moments to gain his bearings, but Clark soon knew that he had made it to Ohio. A long, lonely highway stretched out along the field's edge – Route 50. Thankfully, nobody was around to see him crash land. He checked the syringe and it was still intact.

With his prize still safe, Clark took a few moments to clear his head and took a few deep breaths. His body still hurt, his ribs the worst. He had struck the ground hard enough to leave an impact crater and worried that he might have suffered a concussion.

He leapt into the air again, this time, with renewed purpose. Instead of flying, however, he covered about fifty feet and landed, this time on his feet. Clark felt the impact ripple through his injured body, new pain in his knees. Clark had escaped Brainiac, but it seemed that the radiation poisoning was beginning to affect him. He had hoped that putting distance between him and Lex's suit would reverse the effects, but it seemed that with the stuff in his system, it was continuing to affect him.

 _How long will I be without my full powers? What power do I have left?_ Those were serious questions, given the foe that awaited him and the distance he had to travel. Thankfully, his vision was still keen. He spied a roadside phone booth in the distance and made for that.

Though still fast by human standards, Clark could manage running no more than fifty miles an hour. He would need to contact Lois or Lena and could not risk anyone seeing him in costume with his powers in such a diminished state. Thankfully, he kept his wallet and a change of clothes in a pocket on the back of his suit. It was just a Chief's T-shirt and gym shorts, but it was enough. The phone booth stood before him, its door opened wide.

Clark stepped inside and changed as fast as he could. He had pulled his T-shirt on just as the first car he'd seen he landed by. It was heading west, unfortunately. He would need to hitch a ride with an eastbound car, or preferably, a semi.

He then placed the call to Lena. The phone rang three times before she picked up.

"Lena Luthor."

"Lena," he began, but she cut him off.

"I don't recognize this number," she began. Clark surmised that she had one of those new caller ID boxes. "So, whoever you are, you'd better have a damn good reason for having my direct number!"

"Lena, it's me; Clark!"

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Clark. I didn't recognize your voice over the background noise. Where are you?"

"I'm on Route fifty in Ohio, west of Albany. I got what we need … but I'll need to hitch a ride back to Metropolis."

"What? Oh, my God, Clark! You must be injured!"

"I'll explain when I get there."

"Get to Snyder Field – it's just east of where 32 and 50 merge, just before Albany. I'll get Lois and we'll fly out to meet you!"

"Thanks, Lena," Clark replied. "You're a lifesaver!"

Lena giggled. "I like the change of pace – me saving you. Or at least I would if time were not such a factor."

"See you soon, Lena, and thank you again."

"Anytime, Clark."

He hung up and stepped out of the phone booth, his costume folded into a wallet sized package. Thankfully, the boots were not 'boots' at all, but something like half-chaps that covered red shoes similar to gym shoes, though far lighter and more durable. Clark looked like an athlete or a runner.

He began walking east, and soon, he was rewarded by an eastbound semi-truck. The large cabover tractor was pulling a tanker trailer. It slowed and finally came to a stop, where the passenger side door opened. Clark was greeted by a gray-haired woman who looked to be in her late fifties or early sixties. She looked pleasant but worn. He figured she had been a trucker for almost as long as he'd been alive.

"Where you headed, young man?" The woman's voice was low and raspy, and based on the cigarette butts in the open ash tray, Clark figured he knew why.

"Snyder field," he replied. "Do you know it?"

"Yer in luck, kiddo," she said with a grin. "I'm haulin' aero-plane fuel; it's my next stop."

Clark climbed in, amazed by his luck. "Thanks! You have no idea how much of a difference you're making!"

She laughed, flashing him a warm smile. "Glad to be of help, young man. Name's B.J."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "Didn't he travel with a chimp named Bear?"

B.J. laughed heartily. "Betty Jo, but nobody calls me that."

"Clark Kent," he replied, shaking her hand.

"Clark Kent? You're that newspaperman! With the Daily Planet!"

"You know me?"

"I drive to Metropolis often enough. Always read the Planet when I'm in town. You write good stuff – you an' that Lane woman." Then she leaned close, like they were sharing some big secret. "Bet you're on some big story!"

"Yes, actually. Can't give you the details, but when I turn it in, I'll be sure to mention you."

"Well in that case, let's roll!" Betty Jo jammed a Steppenwolf eight-track cassette into the trucks deck and "Born to be Wild" began blaring over the truck's speakers as B.J. put the big rig into gear and mashed the accelerator, bringing the truck up to speed, pulling on the chain that sounded the truck's loud horn and shouting, "Yee-haw!"

Clark leaned back in the seat and grinned. In spite of the circumstances, this was fun.


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49**

Lex Luthor stumbled into the lab, still possessed by Vril Dox. The AI's calculations had been wrong. Kal El was a much tough foe than anticipated, even after being weakened by radiation. Had the Kryptonian been intent on just winning the fight, Dox calculated that Kal El would have easily prevailed. Only the need to draw blood from Lex and to overpower Dox's human host without doing it serious injury had allowed the Coluan AI to challenge the Kryptonian in any meaningful way.

With the suit's emitter shut down, Dox's human host would not die. However, the suit was severely damaged. Without the emitter, Kal El would have destroyed it.

"It seems your battle did not go as planned," Doctor Lang noted as Dox piloted Lex's body into the room and over to Kryptonian mech-suit's docking station, where it opened and released its pilot.

Dox piloted Luthor from the suit, the human's limbs responding woodenly. "It did not. Our acquisition of Lana did not sway him as we had calculated."

"That is because he loves another," Lang countered. "Clark will not abandon the Lane woman so long as she lives, and he will never consent to using my daughter in such a crass way."

"Is your daughter ready?"

Lana Lang lay on a table, a sheet covering her torso. She had come voluntarily, the promise of finally having Clark the lure. Through genetic tampering facilitated by Kryptonian nanotechnology, Lana had been made into the perfect vessel to carry a Kryptonian child. With Clark refusing to join them, however, they would have to obtain his contribution another way, as simply having him couple with the Lang girl was no longer an option.

"She is ready, Dox. If Kal El of Krypton is to have any offspring, Lana is his only option."

"Do you believe that killing the Lane woman will prompt him to commit to your daughter?"

"Not by itself," Lang conceded, "but it will be necessary if you want him to impregnate her conventionally."

"The odds of gaining his cooperation by eliminating the Lane woman are suboptimal," Dox noted. "There are too many variables and killing her will just as likely prejudice him against your daughter as drive him to her. The Lane woman may be more useful to us alive than dead; we simply need for her to bond with the Kryptonian. In his weakened state, she will be more vulnerable to us."

"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

The possessed Lex Luthor nodded. "We must obtain her immediately after she bonds with Kal El."

Lang laughed derisively. "Clark Kent will never take Lois to his bedroom until after they're married, and we don't have time to wait for their relationship to grow and mature to that point. We need an immediate solution; once his strength returns to its full power, he will make his next move. The fact that he took a blood sample from Lex's body tells me he's up to more than just duking it out with you again, and that suit won't be repaired soon enough to take him on."

"Do you offer any alternatives to my plan?"

"Take the Lane woman now," Lang instructed. "Bargain her life for his coupling with Lana."

"That would put him on the offensive," Dox countered. "His focus would shift to the rescue of both women rather than bonding with the one. If we get to the Lane woman first, we can instead, initiate our plan through her. I have already formulated an airborne agent that can be applied to her flesh to overcome any resistance on his part."

"When did you formulate this agent?"

"Twenty-six of your seconds ago," Dox replied. "I have sent the file to your terminal, Doctor Lang. Prepare it at once."

"And what will you be doing?"

"Repairing the combat mech suit," Dox informed. "If we are to survive another physical encounter with the Kryptonian, we will need it to be fully operational."

"What of the Lane woman?"

"I will initiate contact with her through a proxy," Dox announced. "There are plenty within Luthor Corp who still owe loyalty to my host's body. I will work through Mercy Graves – she will follow Lex Luthor's instructions to the letter and without question, and Lane will not immediately suspect her as our pawn."

"Good idea," Lang agreed.

"The Lane woman will need more than just verbal persuasion," Dox informed. "I have sent another file to your terminal. Prepare both agents – when they are ready, we will initiate the next phase of our plan."

"I will begin at once," Lang replied.

Then, he read the file Dox had sent him, and a better option presented itself. "Vril Dox, why bother having him couple with the Lane woman at all? If your chemical agent will make its wearer irresistible to a Kryptonian, as your file indicates, we can simply apply it to Lana and lure him back, at which point, she can seduce him."

"That plan is logical," Dox concluded. "We will still utilize the Lane woman to bring him here immediately. That will also remove him from Metropolis, allowing me to initiate the third phase of our plan from there. We can still apply both agents to the Lane woman – if Lana fails to ensnare him, we can use Lane as a backup."

"What do we do with Lois Lane once Lana has succeeded?"

"Lex Luthor will kill her right before I release him," Dox replied. "Then Lana will be free of blame, and Luthor will be wracked with guilt."

"But Clark knows that he's possessed," Lang countered. "He'll tell Lex."

"Lex already knows," Dox informed, "and he already wallows in self loathing at not being able to wrest control of his body from me."

Lang grinned evilly at this. "Good. It's about time that wretched brat felt something other than his smug megalomania."

"Let us begin, Doctor Lang. I will take Lex Luthor's vessel to Metropolis and place Mercy Graves into play."


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50**

Lois and Lena arrived at Snyder Field, just in time to see a large tanker truck pull up. The big rig's tractor was a cab-over painted bright red, its chrome shined to a mirror sheen. The cab's passenger door opened, and Clark Kent stepped out, waving to the driver and thanking her for the very timely help. As the truck drove off to make its delivery elsewhere at Snyder Field, Clark Kent spotted Lois and Lena. Waving with his signature Clark Kent grin, he began walking over to them.

Lois could not wait. She ran to him and practically tackled him. She was rewarded with a hug and a deep kiss.

"Clark, I thought we'd lost you!"

"It'll take more than that to do me in," the big reporter replied. "Still recovering though – that radiation took a lot out of me."

"Clark …" Lois looked at his bruised face, felt him wince as she embraced him. The Superman had been injured in his battle with the Kryptonian mech suit equipped Lex. "You're hurt!"

"I know, Lois," he confirmed. "I'm healing up; already better just from the ride with Betty Jo."

"Betty Jo?" Lois did a slight double take at the mention of another woman's name.

"The trucker," Clark clarified. "And look at the tractor – it's Optimus Prime!"

She felt a bit guilty at her twinge of jealousy, but before she could say more, Lena ran to Clark as well and gave him a tight hug.

"Thank you, Clark," the Luthor heiress said. "You risked … everything for us – you risked everything for Lex."

"And I got it," Clark replied, removing the case with the syringe from his pocket. "A sample of nanotech."

"Nanotech," Lois pondered. "I wonder how many of our readers have even heard the term."

"It's certainly not in the everyday lexicon," Clark noted, "but our scientifically literate audience will probably appreciate it."

"Or be scared to death by it," Lena interjected. "People do not understand technology in general, and even scientifically literate people only know enough to jump to insane conclusions."

"True," Clark conceded. "But I'm sure Lois will write the story in such a way as to both inform and lay their fears to rest."

"Lena," Lois said gravely, "we don't have much time. Can you formulate the antidote?"

"I hope so, Lois," the Luthor heiress sighed. "Otherwise, we're in big trouble."

"Then let's get back to Metropolis," Clark said. "We all have work to do, and I need to recover my strength and powers quickly. Hopefully, Jor-El and Lara's AI programs will have some answers."

"Come on," Lena called, "My plane will be refueled and ready to fly in an hour. We can talk more inside the cabin while we wait."

"I think I'll wait outside in the sun," Clark opined. "I feel a lot better after the walk and the ride, but I need to be outside in the sunlight."

"That's fine," Lois replied. "There's a sandwich shop in the airport – Lena and I can go grab a bite and enjoy some girl-talk."

Lena did a double take. "Girl-talk?"

Lois laughed. "Come on, Lena; there are some things I need to talk with you about." She took Lena by the arm, and then looked back at Clark. "I'll bring you a Philly cheese-steak?"

"That'd be awesome, Lois. Thanks!"

With that, the two women walked toward the small airport's deli. Clark laughed to himself that both women bore the same initials: L.L.

-S-

While Clark soaked up the sun on the airfield by Lena's jet, Lois Lane and Lena Luthor sat in the airport's deli at a table for two eating hamburgers and French fries and drinking chocolate milkshakes like a couple of teen agers.

Lois was famished and lost no time covering her fries with ketchup. Lena, on the other hand, looked almost confused.

When Lois realized that Lena was not yet eating, she looked up. "Aren't you hungry?"

"I suppose that I am," the Luthor heiress said formally. "I'd like to eat, but … where is the silverware?"

"At the counter," Lois said. "Why?"

"So that I can eat."

Lois just shrugged, picked up her burger, and took a bite out of it, juices from the burger spilling all over the reporter's hands.

"Miss Lane!" Lena looked horrified.

"What?" Lois' reply was muffled, as she was still chewing her food.

"That is not how a lady eats!"

"That's how this lady eats," Lois corrected as she took another bite. "I'm on the go all the time, Lena. Besides, it's burgers and fries; you don't need silverware – well, plastic-ware in this place – to eat it. Pretend you're back in high school."

Lena wrinkled her nose. "I hated high school. Nobody in my class liked me, and after Chloe, Lana, and Pete graduated, I had no friends. I brought my lunches and brought my own silverware. I ate alone everyday and read literature appropriate to a young lady of my stature."

"Bummer," Lois said through another bite of her burger. "I never had many friends growing up either – Army brat, so we moved around all the time. By high school though, I had my circle, and going to Friendly's for burgers, shakes, and sundaes after school was the best."

Lena stared at her burger and Lois laughed.

"Don't be scared of it, Lena," the reporter said. "Just take it and bite into it."

Lena looked at Lois, then at the burger, then back at Lois. Finally, she lifted the large sandwich and tried to fit it into her rather dainty mouth enough to take a bite. Lois had never seen anyone so perplexed by a hamburger.

"Surely, you've had a sandwich, Lena."

"Yes, one that I cut with a knife and fork and ate with dignity."

Lois began to giggle. "You remind me of Clark."

"He eats like I do?"

"No," Lois said. "But he is very neat – a lot more than me. I inhale my food – he takes smaller bites and chews it. Says it's better for you and allows you to digest your food fully."

"He is correct," Lena replied. "I would say that's how he keeps himself so lean and muscular, but …."

"But we both know he could eat a horse and …."

"Eat a horse? Lois!"

"What? It's just an expression."

"Oh," Lena said with some embarrassment as she realized what Lois meant. "Our worlds are so different."

"Yeah," Lois agreed. "But so is mine and Clark's. Yours and Clark's too, but you two are good friends."

"Clark's different," Lena countered. "He looked out for me. He always displayed good manners, and even though he was raised in a humble home, he always carried himself with nobility."

Lois pondered Lena's words for a moment. "Now that you mention it, he does. Never thought of him like that before, but nobility is a fitting adjective." Then she grinned. "But he still eats his hamburgers with his hands."

Lena looked down at the burger again, this time, a look of determination on her face. "Very well, Miss Lane …"

"Lois."

"Very well, Lois – I shall conquer this." With that, the dainty, ladylike Lena lifted the burger in both hands, opened her mouth wide and took as large a bite from it as she could.

"Welcome to the club, Lena," Lois said with a laugh.

The Luthor heiress chewed her food and swallowed it before speaking. "Lois … you wanted to discuss something?"

"I would like to be your friend."

Lena looked confused. "Why? Yes, you turned out to be right about my father, but now that you've been proven right, what more is there?"

"You're Clark's friend, Lena," Lois explained. "I know we got off on the wrong foot, but you're a part of his life, and that means that you're going to be a part of mine too. I've learned very quickly that Clark's friends are Clark's friends for a reason. When I first met you and Lex, I knew that you were family friends. I projected my opinions of your father and his company onto both of you, Lex in particular. That was wrong of me, and I am sorry."

"Wow," Lena said with surprise. "I never would have expected that from you but thank you; it means more than you know."

"I've learned to trust his instincts," Lois replied. "He's made me see some things differently. You're nice, Lena. I have a good feeling about you, and my instincts about people have never been wrong."

"What about Lex?"

"Still piecing him together," Lois said with a sigh as she leaned back in her chair. "I do believe that he's earnest, and I think that he wants to do what he believes is right. I just question his judgement. He makes unilateral decisions, and people get hurt as a result."

Lena looked down, knowing what happened to Jonathan Kent as a result of Lex's hasty decision making.

"His ego can be his worst enemy," Lena agreed. "That's a fair assessment on your part."

"But Clark still thinks that Lex is a decent man," Lois reminded her. "He wants to save his friend – not to take to justice or straighten out, but just to save him from Brainiac. Clark still believes in him. I want to see Clark be right."

The Luthor heiress nodded but said nothing. Instead, she took another bite of her burger as Lois finished off her own burger and began inhaling the fries.

Finally, Lena looked up from her food. "It would be nice to have a girlfriend. I still harbor resentments, but I'm sure that you do as well. You offer me your hand in friendship. I will not slap it way, but … please give me some time to get used to the idea."

Lois lifted her shake and smiled. "Cheers." Then she began drinking the thick chocolate drink.

"How do you do that?" Lena shook her head in disbelief. "You eat like a high school football player, but you stay thin!"

The reporter laughed, though this time, without humor. "It's the one trait my father passed on to me that I actually wanted. He stayed very thin no matter what he ate, but when my mom put on weight after having two daughters?" Lois shook her head. "He was very unkind to her about it. I hated him for that."

"I'm sorry, Lois. Is your mother still alive?"

"Yes," the reporter answered. "They don't speak – my sister doesn't want anything to do with him, and I … I keep the channels open, but we hardly speak either."

"I barely remember my mother now," Lena confessed. "She passed away when I was five."

"Oh, Lena; I'm so sorry. That must have been very difficult for you."

"It changed my father," the Luthor heiress continued. "He became more distant, more aloof. He still loved us, but he was never the same after she died. Lex got me through it all."

"We'll save him, Lena."

"Thank you, Lois. I had no doubts, but hearing you say it helps."

-S-

High in the air in Lena's Leerjet 36A, Lois and Clark sat in comfort as they flew back to Metropolis. Lena was in the cockpit, apparently obsessed with aviation. Clark suspected that the Luthor Heiress also wanted to give Lois and Clark some time alone together before getting down to business.

"Clark … I can't imagine what you went through in that fight," Lois began, but Clark shook his head.

"Nothing the average soldier doesn't face during deployment," he assured.

"Yeah," Lois snapped, "and they tend to either die or suffer long-term physical and mental health issues from things like getting shot, knocked around, and being exposed to chemical and radiation poisoning."

"Lois …."

"Don't 'Lois' me, Clark Kent!" She looked down, covering her face with her hands for a moment, and then looked back up at him. "I know you're just trying to reassure me, but I'm a military brat and a war correspondent, Clark. You're Superman; the man who can't be hurt, but this alien tech is as powerful as you! What if …."

He reached across and gently squeezed her left shoulder. "It'll be alright, Lois. I got what we came for."

"Yes, and you've lost much of your power in the process!"

"It'll come back," he assured. "Look, Lois; you risk your life every day. People have been trying to kill you for several years, and you place yourself in dangerous situations fairly regularly. With me around, the chances of your dying or suffering serious injury might be much reduced, but all it takes is for me to be occupied like I was with that confrontation with Braniac while you're in danger, and you could be dead."

"Yeah, but …."

"Lois, you've been surviving Metropolis and warzones since long before I got to Metropolis," he reminded her. "You're not some damsel in distress, waiting around for Superman to swoop in and effect a rescue; you're Lois Lane, and I have to trust that as Lois Lane, you can continue to thwart death and serious injury just as capably now that I'm here as you could before."

Laughing, Lois nodded. "Well, when you put it that way …."

"We'll get through this, Lois," he assured. "You're not alone in the fight anymore. You've held your ground and survived for years own. Now, you've got a team."

"You and me against the world?"

"Lena's with us, and Lex is the damsel in distress," Clark reminded her. "There's no longer a Lionel Luthor for you to fight against, but a Lena Luthor to fight along side you. Things are changing for the better, Lois."

"Clark, before we met, I turned away men who were … really decent. I had shots at relationships that could have really gone somewhere, but I derided them for not being able to keep up with me." She shook her head. "Then I met you, and you could not only keep up with me, but you could do things I could never in a million years even hope to accomplish. It took a superhero to get me to take notice of you, Clark … but now that we're together, I don't care if your powers ever come back – I want you in my life, and I'll fight anyone who tries to take you from me. I can't lose you, Clark. You're the one."

They leaned forward and kissed.

"I knew you were the one back when we met in Smallville," he said with a grin.

"Not right away, though," she reminded him. "Just as I wasn't sure right away when you finally made your way to Metropolis. Never thought I could ever have meet 'the one' that everyone said was waiting for me, but now that I have, I will guard what we have, Clark. Part of that is giving you the second opinions you've never needed before. You can't just assume that your powers will keep you from harm; in the face of this Kryptonian tech, you're as mortal as I am."

"I know," he agreed. "Hopefully, once we've dealt with this …."

"You think they haven't kept notes on this stuff, Clark?" Lois looked at him intently. "They've got all the data on this suit somewhere in some Luthor Corp drives, and even with Lex and Lena on our side, even with Braniac defeated, they have the knowledge to create another suit and to do to other women … whatever it is they did to Lana. If the military or some other mad scientist gets their hands on this tech, Clark, you'll have enemies that can challenge you if they ever figure it out – and they will figure it out. It's what they do."

"You seem to have experience with this, Lois."

She laughed mirthlessly. "My father is involved with defense contractors and I've done many a story on the abuses of the military industrial complex. They've made weapons out of things I would never have thought possible. Once they set their minds to it, Clark, they will succeed. And I guarantee you that the U.S. Military is devising all manner of fail-safes and working on weapons specifically to destroy you. The military fears anything that doesn't conform and anything they can't challenge. Believe me, Clark, they'll get their hands on it some way or another."

"Lois, Lex would never …."

"He doesn't have to, Clark! Luthor Corp is a defense contractor! They probably already have some knowledge of the alien metals in your ship and the properties of Kryptonium. Even if Lena and Lex put the kybosh on further development, or only use this knowledge for scientific advancement in space or deep-sea exploration, the knowledge is out there. You have to be on your guard."

"Lois is right," Lena said as she exited the cockpit and joined Lois and Clark. "My father was already working on using Kryptonian tech for the development new weapons and lining up buyers for when the time came. Even without the exotic materials, they could make weapons that are the stuff of science fiction. Even if they can't hurt you, imagine the carnage and misery that could be done with such power."

"The military is really good at that too," Lois added bitterly.

"The good news is that while Jody is flying the plane," Lena offered, "I was able to examine the nanotech. Thankfully, it matches what Jor-El imparted to me exactly; Brainiac didn't change a thing."

Lois gasped. "You could do an analysis of nanotech while copiloting a plane?"

"I made an examination tool for exactly that, Lois," the Luthor heiress said as though it were obvious. "I just needed to get a look at it. With my scientific and technical background, Clark wouldn't even need a device."

The reporter turned and looked at Clark, her mouth agape.

"I can see in multiple spectrums of light, and at the microscopic level," Clark revealed. "I can even observe things at the atomic level. If I had the right information, I could compare DNA."

"I knew you could see microscopically and even see through things," Lois quipped, "but the molecular and atomic level? That's just insane!"

"He can see through things?" Lena gasped.

Lois smirked. "Yeah, Lena. You didn't know?"

"Well, Clark would never use that to …."

"No," Clark assured. "I would never misuse that, Lena. But it did help me find Lois' friend and the bombs in the Simon Project."

"Lena, how did you know about the microscopic vision?" Lois asked.

"Lex figured it out after Clark told him he had powers," Lena replied. "Said it explained a lot of things that Clark could do in science class."

"You actually told Lex," Lois half said, half asked.

"He figured out that I had powers on his own," Clark explained. "That, and Lena saw me take off to go rescue a plane when I thought nobody was watching."

"The rescue that brought me to Smallville for the story on the super-boy," Lois recalled. Then she grinned. "I have Chloe to thank for that, you know."

"I suppose you do," Clark said with a laugh. "I suppose we both do."

-S-

Lena's plane landed at Metropolis International Airport that evening. All three of the passengers were tired, but they still had work ahead of them. Lois and Clark had to work on the story – this had to be the story of the century – and this time, Clark would have to share a byline; he was the only one who could write with any authority about Superman's battle with Braniac in the Smallville skies.

Lena had to formulate the nanotech solution to cure her brother, and in spite of Clark's generous offer to help, the Luthor heiress had declined, preferring to work on this one alone. It was her brother, and it was personal.

While Clark felt that he could have been a great help, he was just as happy to rest and recover, spending some much-needed time with Lois. They chose to go to her apartment to work on the story, reasoning that even in Clark's weakened state, he was less vulnerable returning home from her apartment than Lois would have been returning home from his.

Clark busied himself in the kitchen making coffee as Lois prepped her work station. She loved the new NEC UltraLite laptop computer – one was issued to both her and to Clark, whose machine sat closed on the coffee table. She could hardly believe that a four-and-a-half-pound machine so small could have six-hundred and forty kilobytes of ram, and a whole two megabytes of internal storage.

"Two mugs of coffee, Lois," Clark said as he walked into her living room and placed hers on the table by her laptop before joining her on the sofa.

Her eyes went wide, and she could not help but smile. "Aww, you put whipped cream on top!"

Clark nodded. "Found your half and half too."

Lois wrinkled her nose. "Forgot I had it – thought maybe it got buried and was probably bad."

"Still within the expiration date," he assured. "And two tablespoons of sugar, just the way you like it."

Lois inhaled the aroma. Clark knew coffee better than anyone she had ever met. He somehow managed to brew Lois' store-bought coffee, making it smell heavenly. Then she took a sip and the taste was familiar, but somehow better.

"How did you do this, Clark?"

"I found your French press," he explained. "I gave it a quick rinse, but it doesn't look like you've ever used it."

"That thing?" Lois laughed. "Lucy got it for me because I'm a coffee nut, but I never have time to use it; my Mr. Coffee brews it for me while I'm in the shower. If I'd known a French press would make such a difference in the flavor …."

"My folks used a French press all my life," he shared. "They only use the coffee-maker for entertaining guests; it makes quite a bit more, but I know a few tricks for those as well."

She took a deeper draught of the brew and grinned. "Heavenly."

Clark chuckled. "And cute; you have whipped cream on your nose."

Lois giggled and kissed him, making sure to rub her nose against his. "There," she said with satisfaction. "Now, we match."

They kissed again, and then Lois suddenly pulled back and wiped her nose. "Clark, I just remembered something I forgot to tell you!"

Clark took a napkin and wiped the whipped cream from his face and nodded. "Yes?"

"Clark … there's a Superman cult."

"What?"

"A Superman cult," she repeated. "They … they worship you; at least I think they do. They saved me from Tanner's Evangelical mob."

"David Tanner?" Clark shook his head. "That man's a menace, and his followers are insane!"

"Tell me about it," Lois agreed. "But more importantly, this cult – one of them addressed me as "blessed one" as they were pulling me from the crowd. They wore homemade vestments with your 'S' emblazoned on them."

"It's not an 'S'," he quipped, "but this is a troubling development. I can't say that I didn't anticipate the possibility, but I'd hoped that my interview with you would have dissuaded any such ideas."

"Clark, Tanner's people think you're the antichrist and that I'm the false prophet and whore of Babylon. I certainly didn't see that one coming either." She let out a scoffing sound. "And of course, Tanner is Dirk Armstrong's man-crush."

"Why does Perry keep that idiot around?" Clark shook his head. "The man's unhinged. His association with Tanner should disqualify him from anything but tabloid journalism."

"Perry hates him and buries his clap-trap as deep in the paper as he can," Lois explained. "Unfortunately, it's the Planet's board. Armstrong boosts circulation, so …."

"So, they make Perry keep him around, and short of him doing something that would get him fired, Perry can't get rid him." Clark shook his head. "Idiots."

"Clark, what are we going to do about this cult?" Lois took another drink of her coffee. "I mean, they think I'm … something special too."

"I don't know, Lois. What I do know is that it'll have to wait until I've dealt with Brainiac … and helped you write this story."

"Clark," Lois objected, "you're the one who should be writing this! You were there, and …."

"You know that I can't do that, Lois," he countered. "I am happy to be a contributor and even share a byline, but I can't be the lead writer on this one."

"I know, Clark, but I hate to be taking credit for stories that I'm not even witness to."

"I can give you the 'man on the street' account, saying that I saw something in the sky. I can even say that the robot looking thing took out my car during the battle, necessitating my hitchhiking, but I can't write a blow by blow account of Superman's battle – but you can."

"How, Clark? I wasn't anywhere near Smallville!"

"No, you were in Metropolis," he agreed. "And when Superman returns, the first thing he does is give Lois Lane an exclusive."

That brought a huge grin to her face. "Alright, Superman; I'll take that exclusive right now."

-S-

Lois interviewed 'Superman' about the battle with Brainiac. Clark was careful not to mention Lex Luthor's involvement – only that a rogue scientist from Luthor Corp's Smallville research facility had gotten his hands on some kind of alien AI not of Kryptonian origin, and with it's help, built a combat mech from alien metals and exotic materials. He also made no mention of his own vulnerability to kryptonium radiation or to the virtually indestructible kryptonite – only that he had to work to keep an innocent from harm and that he steered the fight away from populated areas. 'Superman' even apologized for the damage to Clark's rental.

Once the interview was finished, Lois was ready to write the story. As she began typing away on her laptop, Clark wrote his account of the incident from the ground in Smallville. He finished in an impossibly brief time before removing the floppy from his computer and handing it to Lois.

"There," he said as he closed his laptop and placed it into his duffle bag. "Give this to Perry to run as a contributing article."

"Thanks, Clark," she replied as they stood. Lois grinned. "I love that you know I need to be alone to write – one of the things that makes you the man I love."

They embraced and shared a long, passionate kiss before Clark finally began moving toward the door.

"I love you too, Lois. I'll leave you to work your journalistic magic."

"Good night, Clark." She gave him a smile and a small wave. "See you tomorrow."

"Can't wait," he said as he slipped out the door.

Clark made his way from Lois' building feeling invigorated. The rest had done him well, but he still was not back to full power. In fact, he did not even know if he could fly yet. If his powers had not recovered by the morning, he hoped that either the Lara or Jor El AI would have answers. If not, then they were in serious trouble.

With Lois occupied writing her story and Lena working on Jor-El's nanotech antidote, Clark needed to do his part. Now was the time to test his powers again. Now was the time to take flight. If Clark could do that, then he could fly around the world to where it was still daytime and just hover high above the clouds, soaking in as much solar energy as his cells could absorb.

Making certain that he was not being followed, he ducked into an alley and in the blink of an eye, shed his casual clothes, revealing Superman's distinctive costume, and took off, his clothes and shoes tucked into the duffle with his laptop.

This time, Clark ascended effortlessly, experiencing no difficulty maintaining altitude. The fuzziness in his head was gone at last. He flew from Metropolis to the other side of the world in mere minutes, there to hover above the clouds and soak in solar radiation. He hated being so far from Lois and Metropolis, but he had no choice; if he was not at full power, he would never have the opportunity to deliver the antidote to Lex. He supposed that it was possible that the Kryptonian mech suit was beyond repair and that all he had to do was inject the antidote into an unarmored Lex Luthor, but he refused to entertain such wishful thinking.

Kal El entered a meditative state as he absorbed solar radiation while hovering just at the edge of Earth's atmosphere, processing the events of the past few days. He could feel his cells being reenergized and the last of the Kryptonium radiation being purged from them. A few hours of this 'solar therapy' would bring him back to full power. Now, all he had to do was wait.

-S-

As soon as the door closed, Lois got back to writing her story. A sonic boom outside told her that Superman was back on the job. She smiled to herself, pleased beyond measure that Superman was her man.

Once again, she felt as though the words just flowed from her fingertips. After a couple of hours, she was done and still felt refreshed and energized. Lois sent the finished story, as well as Clark's contributing story, to Perry via the Daily Planet's new e-mail system before shutting down her laptop and closing it.

She leaned back on the sofa, closed her eyes, and let out a deep, contented sigh, grinning as she thought about Clark.

Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind, a gloved hand placing a cloth over her nose and mouth. Lois had experienced this before and knew the scent; chloroform. Before she lost consciousness, she heard a familiar voice – the voice of Mercy Graves.

"Sorry, Lane," Lex's bodyguard lamented. "Boss's orders. I promise you won't be hurt."

A muffled whimper was all Lois could manage before blacking out.

-S-

As Lois Lane interviewed Superman, Lena Luthor worked on the nanotech solution. The technology was so far advanced that even though she could understand it, she was not entirely certain that she could implement it. Thankfully, she would not have to.

Instead of making new nanotech, all she had to do was reprogram the nanotech from the sample of Lex's blood to render the rest of the nanites that Brainiac had injected into Lex inert; essentially, they had to deliver an 'off' command.

With Jor-El's data, Lena could easily do this. She could turn off the nanites, free Lex from Brainiac's control, and extract him from the suit. That would save her brother, but what of Brainiac? What would become of the AI? Could it truly be destroyed? It could transmit itself into other systems, and Lena had no idea how to contain it – Brainiac was an alien AI housed in tech built by the most advanced society ever developed, while Earth had not developed anything even close to a true AI, let alone the technology to defend against it.

Freeing Lex would only solve the immediate problem – but what if Lex had greater capability? The threat they faced was greater than anything humanity could imagine; even Clark – Superman – could not stop such a foe, even with his great powers. Even he needed Lex Luthor's help … and Lena could make sure that Clark would have it.

With that in mind, she began adjusting the commands her nanites would give to Brainiac's. She would do more than simply turn them off. She would turn them to humanity's advantage. Clark no longer had to fight alone. Earth was no longer alone in the galaxy, and there were enemies that Earth's militaries were not equipped to combat. Lex and Clark would be the ultimate defenders of humanity. With Lena's mind behind them, no enemy would dare challenge Earth. Humanity would be safe.

Clark would be proud of her; of that she had no doubt. It was Lex who concerned her – not that he would disapprove; Lex would almost certainly be pleased. She only hoped that he would not be too pleased. Without Clark's guiding influence to temper her brother, Lena would never even consider this. Thankfully, Clark and Lex would always be the best of friends.


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51**

Clark returned to his room in Metropolis, careful to enter through the window unnoticed. Once inside, he changed back into his civilian clothes. He had spent the entire night on the other side of the world, floating at the edge of the atmosphere absorbing solar energy. While he did not sleep, he did meditate. Now, he was back in Metropolis feeling as rested and refreshed as if he had slept for twelve hours.

All of his injuries were now fully healed, making him ready to do battle with the Kryptonian mech suit once again. Clark hoped that he could accomplish Braniac's defeat without truly injuring Lex. He also wondered if Lex was aware of the things being done through his body. If so, he assumed that Lex was powerless to intervene.

Before his thoughts could go further, a knock on his door interrupted him. His x-ray vision revealed that it was one of his landlords, Sarah Fadden, and Lena Luthor. He finished putting away his costume, and at super speed, straightened the room as he went from the window to the door, adjusting his glasses before opening the door.

"Good morning, Mrs. Fadden," he said with an innocent smile. "Lena, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Lena giggled and Mrs. Fadden laughed.

"Handsome man like you is bound to have a pretty girl come a-calling," the older woman opined. "She said it was important, so…"

"So, here I am," Lena finished as Mrs. Fadden turned to go back down the stairs. "I have it ready, Clark. Are you ready to fly me away?"

"Ready to fly at full speed," he replied.

As soon as Sarah Fadden was out of sight, Lena hugged Clark tightly.

"Seeing you so badly injured, Clark – I must confess that it was difficult for me, but you look fully recovered!"

"I spent the night on the other side of the world, just hovering at the edge of space," he explained as they went inside of his room. "I floated in a meditative state, absorbing solar energy and sorting my mind. I'm ready, Lena. We can do this."

"Clark, have you heard anything from Lois? I cannot reach her at any of her numbers, and she is not at her apartment."

He shook his head. "No, Lena." He paused and closed his eyes, opening up his hearing and listening for Lois' distinct heartbeat. It took some doing, but he eventually isolated it. Her pulse was slow, as though she were asleep. Near it, he heard two other familiar rhythms.

"She's here in Metropolis," he finally revealed. "Also, Lena, Lex and Lana are with her as well – both in close proximity."

Lena raised her eyebrows. "Close to Lois? How close?"

"Feet," Clark confirmed. "They're at Luthor-Corp."

"It still amazes me that you can do that," the Luthor heiress remarked. "You saved my life with that ability, you know. But more importantly, what is Lois doing with Lex? And why is Lana there?"

The phone rang just as Clark was about to answer Lena.

"I suspect we'll find out now," he said as he pressed the speaker button, allowing Lena to hear the conversation. "Clark Kent."

"Ah, Clark," said a familiar voice.

"Brainiac," Clark replied.

"Vril Dox, Kal El, not Brainiac," Lex's voice corrected.

"Not for much longer," Clark reminded him. "What have you done with Lois? I know she's there with you."

"We have a proposition for you," Brainiac explained. "Doctor Lang is here as well. We have an offer for you. Lois has been injected nanites that, if left unchecked, will disassemble her cell by cell. The process has already begun, but it takes a long time. Only I can formulate the antidote, Kal El. Accept our offer, and Lois will live. Refuse and she will die."

"I will be there shortly," he replied before hanging up. Then he turned to Lena.

"I suspect that I know why Lana has been brought here," Clark explained. "They want me to sire children with her."

Lena shook her head in disgust. "Doctor Lang is a menace! Clark, we have to stop them!"

"I know," he agreed. "Do you think you can formulate a nanotech solution that can save Lois?"

She nodded. "I … I think so. Jor El's data has vastly improved my own understanding of nanotech. Like Lex, I'll need a blood sample, of course."

Clark nodded. "Your office is at Luthor Corp, Lena. How do you want to play this?"

"I can get you inside," she noted. "They're probably in one of the R&D labs, and my access should get us into any of them. It should not be a problem."

"Given that they actually want me to find them, I would think not," he reminded her. "This must end, Lena. You said you have it ready?"

Lena removed a small case from her purse. "The syringe is inside. Inject it into him, and the results should be almost immediate." Then she added, "Clark, we only get one shot at this. If we don't succeed…."

"If we don't succeed," he reminded her, "Lois and Lex are both dead. I will not allow that. Come on – the sooner we do this, the sooner we can end it."


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52**

When Clark and Lena arrived at Luthor-Corp, he did not expect any resistance, but he was surprised to find Mercy Graves awaiting them.

"Mister Kent, Miss Luthor," Lex's bodyguard greeted. "Doctor Luthor is waiting. Come with me."

"I'm right here," Lena declared, crossing her arms and standing firm.

"My apologies, ma'am," Mercy replied. "I forget that you have a doctorate as well."

"Lead the way," Clark said, not wanting to waste another moment's time.

"Of course, Mister Kent," Mercy replied as she began walking toward the elevator.

Lena looked perturbed but walked with them silently. Clark had already located Lois and Lana. He could not see them, but he could hear their distinctive heartbeats. They were in a room whose walls were opaque to his visual powers, though this made it stand out all the more. Most likely, it was lined with lead, though Clark surmised that this was not a precaution against him – the room's construction predated Superman's appearance, and he had been careful to keep the limitations of his powers from virtually everyone except Lois.

As they stepped into the waiting elevator and the doors began to close, Clark turned to Mercy.

"What's your part in this, Miss Graves?"

"I am sorry, Mister Kent," the bodyguard replied, her eyes downcast. "It was I who acquired Miss Lane, but I assure you that she remains unharmed. Doctor Luthor said that when you arrived, you would understand."

"Mercy, you know that's not Lex," Lena interjected.

The bodyguard looked at Lena incredulously. "What do you mean, that's not Lex?"

"Lex has been overshadowed by a powerful alien AI of Coluan origin," Clark explained. "You're loyal to Lex – help me free him."

Mercy shook her head. "Don't believe what Lena says; Lex said that she would attempt to deceive you."

Lena let out an indignant pant, and Clark shook his head.

"You misunderstand," he explained. "Lena didn't tell me – I was there when it happened. I told Lena. We're here to save Lex, Lois, and Lana."

The elevator stopped and the doors opened.

"If what you say is true," the bodyguard said, "then we are already too late. Come – they're down this corridor."

Mercy led them to the end of the corridor and to the door of the lead-lined room. The door opened as they approached. They were expected, after all. The three of them entered and standing before him was Lana.

"Hi, Clark," Lana said innocently as the door closed behind them. "I been waitin' for you."

In the background, Doctor Lang and Lex stood over a comatose Lois Lane, who lay atop a gurney, a syringe in Lex's gloved hand as he injected something into Lois' arm.

Wires were attached to contact points that had been embedded into Lex's cranium, and he now wore a purple shirt with a high collar and dark green pants. A green crisscrossed harness extended from the belt of the pants over his shoulders, canisters attached to it. His hands were covered with green, gauntlet style gloves. He looked like a nineteen-sixties science fiction or comic book villain.

The room itself was like a mad scientist's lab. There were beakers, two computers – each with its own desk and chair, samples of Kryptonite, and the Kryptonian mech suit off in the corner. With the gloating white lab coat clad Lang and the purple clad Lex, it looked like a scene from a sixties sci-fi movie.

Lex looked at Clark with an evil grin, making Clark wait for the maniacal laugh to accompany it. Clark began to advance toward Lois, but Lana cried out, causing him to pause.

"No, Clark! She'll die if you take her from them!"

"The Lang girl is correct," Brainiac said through Lex's mouth. "Lois is protected by a forcefield – not a science fiction energy barrier, but one of energy that is tuned to your energy. If you come near her, the nanites will disassemble her faster than you can formulate a countermeasure. Lana is the key to saving Lois Lane. Do as we ask, and the nanites will be neutralized."

Lena gasped. "What have you done, Lex?"

"He's not Lex," Clark reminded her. "He's Brainiac." Then he turned to Lana. "What are you doing here? You need to get out!"

It was then that he noticed the scent. Lana wore a powerful perfume laced with irradiated Kryptonium dust. She, it seemed, was the trap. Clark wondered if she was aware of what had been done.

"I'm not goin' anywhere Clark," Lana countered, "unless it's with you."

He could feel the radiation from her perfume. It was not nearly as intense as the blast from the Kryptonian starship's engines, and it was reformulated with … he could not tell what. His powers seemed to be intact, and his vision was clear, so he chose to act as though it was not affecting him.

"I'm here for you, Clark," Lana said as she walked to him, the scent of her perfume filling his nostrils. "You can save her, Clark. Just do what we ask, an' you'll have everything!"

"Indeed, Clark Kent," Doctor Lang confirmed, "my daughter has been awaiting you, pining in your absence. She holds the promise of new life. All you need to do is take hold that promise, and it will be yours, along with my daughter."

"What have you done to Lois?" He shook his head, trying to clear the buzzing that had begun. It was almost certainly Lana's laced perfume.

"I … I can't go along with this," Mercy exclaimed. She pointed her weapon at Doctor Lang. "Whatever you've done to Lex, you need to undo it. Now!"

Lena nodded. "You won't get away with this, Lang!"

"Ah, so cliché," Lana's father said dismissively as he stepped around, interposing himself between Mercy and Lex, the comatose Lois directly behind him. "We've already gotten away with it, Lena Luthor; there's nothing you can do to stop this, either of you!"

"Fuck you," Mercy spat as she squeezed the trigger.

The bullet struck Lang in the abdomen, but the professor did not even flinch. Blood sprayed on the wall behind Lex and on Lex himself, but Lang showed no sign of injury.

"Holographic technology." Lang gloated. "It's so real that it fooled all of you. Clark's powers are more compromised than he knows – were it not for Lana, he'd have already figured it out."

He stepped aside and now, they could plainly see where the bullet had gone through the hologram and struck Lois in the chest.

"You see, Clark," Brainiac said through Lex's mouth, "physical force will only destroy that which you seek to preserve."

Clark moved to aid Lois and his friend, but Lana placed her hand on his chest, stopping him.

"You can't, Clark – you'll kill her. We can still save her," Lana assured. "But right now, you need to make me yours."

Lana's words were the worst. They were clumsy, had no hint of persuasion to them, and should have been easy for Clark to brush off – but they were not. Somehow, he found himself acquiescing to her words. Her hand may as well have been several yards of solid steel. She held him in place with the touch of her delicate fingertips.

"You can't move, can you?" Lang's image gloated. "My daughter has been treated with a scent that will render her irresistible to you! It's over, Clark Kent! We've won!"

"Not yet, you haven't," Clark countered.

Before anyone could see him move, Clark grabbed the syringe from Lena and with pinpoint accuracy, threw it, the needle impaling Lex's chest.

"No!" Lang's image looked aghast. "What have you done?"

"I've saved my friend," Clark replied.

Brainiac looked up with surprise plain in his eyes as Lena's nanotech was injected.

"Clark?" Lex looked at his friend, a pained expression on his face. "Is … is that you?"

Then, he collapsed, the wires detaching from his cranium.

Lena and Mercy ran to Lex and the injured Lois as Clark contended with a Lana Lang whom he found more and more irresistible by the second.

Lois was his love, but Clark also wanted a family, children. Lana could give him these things, and what was more, she loved him every bit as much as Lois. Lana was just as attractive, and she had known him his whole life.

The farm girl from Kansas had told him these things before, but suddenly, they made sense. Suddenly, he found himself reaching for her. As he placed his hands on her hips, she gasped and moved closer to him, her body pressed against his, just as it had on the porch of the Lang home all those years ago.

Lana trembled at his touch, her lips parting to receive his kiss. As he leaned forward to kiss his childhood friend, he caught a glimpse of her father's holographic image. Clearly, he was still interested in what was going on here, and clearly, Lana was being manipulated by him. In fact, this entire scenario was a manipulation.

In such close proximity, Lana's scent was filling his nostrils and affecting his mind. The stuff was all in his head, and now, it was even in his mouth. Clark closed his eyes and retreated to his mental stronghold. His Kryptonian mother's lessons were proving invaluable, but while retreating to a meditative state may have forestalled Lana's ability to influence him, it also kept him from acting.

"Lex!" It was Mercy's voice.

"Let the nanites do their work," Lena scolded. "We have to save Lois! She's bleeding out!"

"Why the hell is Clark just standing there with Lana?"

"Because," Doctor Lang's voice cut in, "he has no choice! My daughter has been sprayed with a Kryptonium infused perfume that renders her irresistible to him! Lois will bleed out as Clark flies off with Lana to consummate their love."

Lena looked up at Lang's gloating image.

"It's not love and he's not going anywhere," Lena spat. "He's fighting it – he just needs a little help!"

Lena grabbed the fire extinguisher from the wall and sprayed Lana Lang, dousing the scent of her perfume. Lana began batting her arms about, turning to escape the torrent of chemicals from the extinguisher. Mercy closed and delivered a powerful kick to a bent over Lana Lang's face, knocking Clark's childhood friend out cold.

"No!" Lang's image was no longer gloating.

Lena located Professor Lang's holo-projector and slammed the extinguisher down atop it, smashing it and extinguishing his image.

Clark shook his head, finally able to return to a normal state of consciousness. He lifted the unconscious Lana and placed her into the office chair by one of the computers.

"Lena, if you hadn't acted so swiftly…." he began.

"You would have found a way, I'm certain," Lena assured. "But not soon enough to save Lois."

"I need to get her to the hospital," Clark began, but Lena shook her head.

"She'll never survive the trip," Lena countered, "She's lost far too much blood, and the speeds at which you would need to fly to get her there fast enough would kill her in the process."

"What about Lex?" Mercy now knelt at Lex's side looking up at Clark and Lena.

Clark went to his friend and lifted him from the floor, placing him into the chair at the other computer – the one that seemed to have the nanotech research up on the screen.

"His vitals are strong," Clark assured Mercy. "The nanotech is doing its work – he'll be fine. He just needs to rest."

Mercy shook her head. "What about Brainiac? Is the nanotech … erasing him?"

"Based on Lex's brainwaves, it seems that the AI has released him," Clark observed. "Brainiac's consciousness is housed in the alien computer back at Luthor Corp's Smallville research facility."

Lena's eyes went wide at this. "You mean that thing is still out there?"

Clark nodded. "We've freed Lex and Lana. Now…." He went to the dying Lois. His visual powers showed him that while the bullet missed her heart, it had caused severe internal damage. Lois was bleeding to death and would be gone in the next few minutes if he did not act fast. The bullet was also still lodged inside of her.

"Lena, I need a long set of tweezers!"

Lena located a pair in the lab and handed them to him. Clark sterilized them with a quick application of his heat vision and then used them to extract the bullet. He was about to use his heat vision to cauterize the wound, but Lena placed her hand on his shoulder and shook her head.

"I have a better idea, Clark." Lena then went to the still powered up computer in the lab. "They've been working on nanotech as well. I can reprogram it to repair the damage without you having to zap her with laser vision."

"There's no time for that," Clark objected. "She'll be dead before you can do that!"

"And what about her blood loss?" Mercy asked. "She's going to die if we don't do a transfusion."

Lena let out a deep sigh as she looked around the room. "Lang probably has the equipment in here – God knows he's done enough bloodwork on his daughter. The problem is that neither of us is the right blood type, and Clark is an alien."

"Actually, that may solve both problems," he declared. He went to the mech suit, rolled up his sleeve, and took one of the Kryptonite needles from inside of the suit, sterilized it, and located a vein on his own arm. Then he quickly located the apparatus that Lang had used to do blood exchanges on Lana and possibly Lex.

"That machine there – we can use that to give Lois a transfusion of my blood," he explained. "It should repair the damage to her, just as it does with me."

"What if it…." Lena looked at Clark aghast.

"She'll die if we don't do something, and seconds count," he reminded her, casting a glance at a Lois whose skin was beginning to turn blue. "If she dies, at least it'll be because we tried and failed. If she dies because we do nothing…."

"I see your point," Lena conceded. "Alright – let's begin."

Using the Kryptonite needle, Clark made a pathway for Lena to insert the needle from the machine. The other end of the machine was attached to Lois, and in moments, the transfusion began.

At first, Lois simply lay there, but soon, her pallor began to improve, and her breathing and heartbeat became stronger. Clark watched with his x-ray vision and observed as his Kryptonian blood began to repair the damage to Lois' body. Finally, she was stable.

"There," Lena said, turning off the machine. "Let's get cotton balls and Band-Aids on the both of you. We'll stay with Lois, Clark. You go find Lang and Brainiac and deal with them. They're most likely at Luthor-Corp's Smallville facility."

Clark went to Lois and kissed her forehead. "Rest up, Lois," he whispered. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Then he stood and looked at Lena. "You are an amazing woman, Lena Luthor. Thank you for saving her."

"It was your idea," Lena reminded him.

"Not the nanotech to save Lex, nor the fire extinguisher to stop Lana," he corrected.

Lena giggled at that. "I rather enjoyed doing that, Clark. Now go – Mercy and I have things under control here. We'll keep Lex and Lois safe. When you return, we can all go for pizza."

Clark offered Lena a brief hug and then shook Mercy's hand. "Thank you both for everything. Truly."

With that, Clark bolted from the room so fast it was as though he had never been there. Mercy and Lena exchanged glances.

"You think he can really stop Brainiac?" Mercy asked.

"I do," Lena replied with a nod. "Clark can do anything. Once this is all over, we can put everything right. Lex and I can rebuild Metropolis, and Clark will protect it."

"You think it will really go that way?"

Lena nodded again. "I do. It shall all work out, Mercy – you'll see."


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 52**

When Clark and Lena arrived at Luthor-Corp, he did not expect any resistance, but he was surprised to find Mercy Graves awaiting them.

"Mister Kent, Miss Luthor," Lex's bodyguard greeted. "Doctor Luthor is waiting. Come with me."

"I'm right here," Lena declared, crossing her arms and standing firm.

"My apologies, ma'am," Mercy replied. "I forget that you have a doctorate as well."

"Lead the way," Clark said, not wanting to waste another moment's time.

"Of course, Mister Kent," Mercy replied as she began walking toward the elevator.

Lena looked perturbed but walked with them silently. Clark had already located Lois and Lana. He could not see them, but he could hear their distinctive heartbeats. They were in a room whose walls were opaque to his visual powers, though this made it stand out all the more. Most likely, it was lined with lead, though Clark surmised that this was not a precaution against him – the room's construction predated Superman's appearance, and he had been careful to keep the limitations of his powers from virtually everyone except Lois.

As they stepped into the waiting elevator and the doors began to close, Clark turned to Mercy.

"What's your part in this, Miss Graves?"

"I am sorry, Mister Kent," the bodyguard replied, her eyes downcast. "It was I who acquired Miss Lane, but I assure you that she remains unharmed. Doctor Luthor said that when you arrived, you would understand."

"Mercy, you know that's not Lex," Lena interjected.

The bodyguard looked at Lena incredulously. "What do you mean, that's not Lex?"

"Lex has been overshadowed by a powerful alien AI of Coluan origin," Clark explained. "You're loyal to Lex – help me free him."

Mercy shook her head. "Don't believe what Lena says; Lex said that she would attempt to deceive you."

Lena let out an indignant pant, and Clark shook his head.

"You misunderstand," he explained. "Lena didn't tell me – I was there when it happened. I told Lena. We're here to save Lex, Lois, and Lana."

The elevator stopped and the doors opened.

"If what you say is true," the bodyguard said, "then we are already too late. Come – they're down this corridor."

Mercy led them to the end of the corridor and to the door of the lead-lined room. The door opened as they approached. They were expected, after all. The three of them entered and standing before him was Lana.

"Hi, Clark," Lana said innocently as the door closed behind them. "I been waitin' for you."

In the background, Doctor Lang and Lex stood over a comatose Lois Lane, who lay atop a gurney, a syringe in Lex's gloved hand as he injected something into Lois' arm.

Wires were attached to contact points that had been embedded into Lex's cranium, and he now wore a purple shirt with a high collar and dark green pants. A green crisscrossed harness extended from the belt of the pants over his shoulders, canisters attached to it. His hands were covered with green, gauntlet style gloves. He looked like a nineteen-sixties science fiction or comic book villain.

The room itself was like a mad scientist's lab. There were beakers, two computers – each with its own desk and chair, samples of Kryptonite, and the Kryptonian mech suit off in the corner. With the gloating white lab coat clad Lang and the purple clad Lex, it looked like a scene from a sixties sci-fi movie.

Lex looked at Clark with an evil grin, making Clark wait for the maniacal laugh to accompany it. Clark began to advance toward Lois, but Lana cried out, causing him to pause.

"No, Clark! She'll die if you take her from them!"

"The Lang girl is correct," Brainiac said through Lex's mouth. "Lois is protected by a forcefield – not a science fiction energy barrier, but one of energy that is tuned to your energy. If you come near her, the nanites will disassemble her faster than you can formulate a countermeasure. Lana is the key to saving Lois Lane. Do as we ask, and the nanites will be neutralized."

Lena gasped. "What have you done, Lex?"

"He's not Lex," Clark reminded her. "He's Brainiac." Then he turned to Lana. "What are you doing here? You need to get out!"

It was then that he noticed the scent. Lana wore a powerful perfume laced with irradiated Kryptonium dust. She, it seemed, was the trap. Clark wondered if she was aware of what had been done.

"I'm not goin' anywhere Clark," Lana countered, "unless it's with you."

He could feel the radiation from her perfume. It was not nearly as intense as the blast from the Kryptonian starship's engines, and it was reformulated with … he could not tell what. His powers seemed to be intact, and his vision was clear, so he chose to act as though it was not affecting him.

"I'm here for you, Clark," Lana said as she walked to him, the scent of her perfume filling his nostrils. "You can save her, Clark. Just do what we ask, an' you'll have everything!"

"Indeed, Clark Kent," Doctor Lang confirmed, "my daughter has been awaiting you, pining in your absence. She holds the promise of new life. All you need to do is take hold that promise, and it will be yours, along with my daughter."

"What have you done to Lois?" He shook his head, trying to clear the buzzing that had begun. It was almost certainly Lana's laced perfume.

"I … I can't go along with this," Mercy exclaimed. She pointed her weapon at Doctor Lang. "Whatever you've done to Lex, you need to undo it. Now!"

Lena nodded. "You won't get away with this, Lang!"

"Ah, so cliché," Lana's father said dismissively as he stepped around, interposing himself between Mercy and Lex, the comatose Lois directly behind him. "We've already gotten away with it, Lena Luthor; there's nothing you can do to stop this, either of you!"

"Fuck you," Mercy spat as she squeezed the trigger.

The bullet struck Lang in the abdomen, but the professor did not even flinch. Blood sprayed on the wall behind Lex and on Lex himself, but Lang showed no sign of injury.

"Holographic technology." Lang gloated. "It's so real that it fooled all of you. Clark's powers are more compromised than he knows – were it not for Lana, he'd have already figured it out."

He stepped aside and now, they could plainly see where the bullet had gone through the hologram and struck Lois in the chest.

"You see, Clark," Brainiac said through Lex's mouth, "physical force will only destroy that which you seek to preserve."

Clark moved to aid Lois and his friend, but Lana placed her hand on his chest, stopping him.

"You can't, Clark – you'll kill her. We can still save her," Lana assured. "But right now, you need to make me yours."

Lana's words were the worst. They were clumsy, had no hint of persuasion to them, and should have been easy for Clark to brush off – but they were not. Somehow, he found himself acquiescing to her words. Her hand may as well have been several yards of solid steel. She held him in place with the touch of her delicate fingertips.

"You can't move, can you?" Lang's image gloated. "My daughter has been treated with a scent that will render her irresistible to you! It's over, Clark Kent! We've won!"

"Not yet, you haven't," Clark countered.

Before anyone could see him move, Clark grabbed the syringe from Lena and with pinpoint accuracy, threw it, the needle impaling Lex's chest.

"No!" Lang's image looked aghast. "What have you done?"

"I've saved my friend," Clark replied.

Brainiac looked up with surprise plain in his eyes as Lena's nanotech was injected.

"Clark?" Lex looked at his friend, a pained expression on his face. "Is … is that you?"

Then, he collapsed, the wires detaching from his cranium.

Lena and Mercy ran to Lex and the injured Lois as Clark contended with a Lana Lang whom he found more and more irresistible by the second.

Lois was his love, but Clark also wanted a family, children. Lana could give him these things, and what was more, she loved him every bit as much as Lois. Lana was just as attractive, and she had known him his whole life.

The farm girl from Kansas had told him these things before, but suddenly, they made sense. Suddenly, he found himself reaching for her. As he placed his hands on her hips, she gasped and moved closer to him, her body pressed against his, just as it had on the porch of the Lang home all those years ago.

Lana trembled at his touch, her lips parting to receive his kiss. As he leaned forward to kiss his childhood friend, he caught a glimpse of her father's holographic image. Clearly, he was still interested in what was going on here, and clearly, Lana was being manipulated by him. In fact, this entire scenario was a manipulation.

In such close proximity, Lana's scent was filling his nostrils and affecting his mind. The stuff was all in his head, and now, it was even in his mouth. Clark closed his eyes and retreated to his mental stronghold. His Kryptonian mother's lessons were proving invaluable, but while retreating to a meditative state may have forestalled Lana's ability to influence him, it also kept him from acting.

"Lex!" It was Mercy's voice.

"Let the nanites do their work," Lena scolded. "We have to save Lois! She's bleeding out!"

"Why the hell is Clark just standing there with Lana?"

"Because," Doctor Lang's voice cut in, "he has no choice! My daughter has been sprayed with a Kryptonium infused perfume that renders her irresistible to him! Lois will bleed out as Clark flies off with Lana to consummate their love."

Lena looked up at Lang's gloating image.

"It's not love and he's not going anywhere," Lena spat. "He's fighting it – he just needs a little help!"

Lena grabbed the fire extinguisher from the wall and sprayed Lana Lang, dousing the scent of her perfume. Lana began batting her arms about, turning to escape the torrent of chemicals from the extinguisher. Mercy closed and delivered a powerful kick to a bent over Lana Lang's face, knocking Clark's childhood friend out cold.

"No!" Lang's image was no longer gloating.

Lena located Professor Lang's holo-projector and slammed the extinguisher down atop it, smashing it and extinguishing his image.

Clark shook his head, finally able to return to a normal state of consciousness. He lifted the unconscious Lana and placed her into the office chair by one of the computers.

"Lena, if you hadn't acted so swiftly…." he began.

"You would have found a way, I'm certain," Lena assured. "But not soon enough to save Lois."

"I need to get her to the hospital," Clark began, but Lena shook her head.

"She'll never survive the trip," Lena countered, "She's lost far too much blood, and the speeds at which you would need to fly to get her there fast enough would kill her in the process."

"What about Lex?" Mercy now knelt at Lex's side looking up at Clark and Lena.

Clark went to his friend and lifted him from the floor, placing him into the chair at the other computer – the one that seemed to have the nanotech research up on the screen.

"His vitals are strong," Clark assured Mercy. "The nanotech is doing its work – he'll be fine. He just needs to rest."

Mercy shook her head. "What about Brainiac? Is the nanotech … erasing him?"

"Based on Lex's brainwaves, it seems that the AI has released him," Clark observed. "Brainiac's consciousness is housed in the alien computer back at Luthor Corp's Smallville research facility."

Lena's eyes went wide at this. "You mean that thing is still out there?"

Clark nodded. "We've freed Lex and Lana. Now…." He went to the dying Lois. His visual powers showed him that while the bullet missed her heart, it had caused severe internal damage. Lois was bleeding to death and would be gone in the next few minutes if he did not act fast. The bullet was also still lodged inside of her.

"Lena, I need a long set of tweezers!"

Lena located a pair in the lab and handed them to him. Clark sterilized them with a quick application of his heat vision and then used them to extract the bullet. He was about to use his heat vision to cauterize the wound, but Lena placed her hand on his shoulder and shook her head.

"I have a better idea, Clark." Lena then went to the still powered up computer in the lab. "They've been working on nanotech as well. I can reprogram it to repair the damage without you having to zap her with laser vision."

"There's no time for that," Clark objected. "She'll be dead before you can do that!"

"And what about her blood loss?" Mercy asked. "She's going to die if we don't do a transfusion."

Lena let out a deep sigh as she looked around the room. "Lang probably has the equipment in here – God knows he's done enough bloodwork on his daughter. The problem is that neither of us is the right blood type, and Clark is an alien."

"Actually, that may solve both problems," he declared. He went to the mech suit, rolled up his sleeve, and took one of the Kryptonite needles from inside of the suit, sterilized it, and located a vein on his own arm. Then he quickly located the apparatus that Lang had used to do blood exchanges on Lana and possibly Lex.

"That machine there – we can use that to give Lois a transfusion of my blood," he explained. "It should repair the damage to her, just as it does with me."

"What if it…." Lena looked at Clark aghast.

"She'll die if we don't do something, and seconds count," he reminded her, casting a glance at a Lois whose skin was beginning to turn blue. "If she dies, at least it'll be because we tried and failed. If she dies because we do nothing…."

"I see your point," Lena conceded. "Alright – let's begin."

Using the Kryptonite needle, Clark made a pathway for Lena to insert the needle from the machine. The other end of the machine was attached to Lois, and in moments, the transfusion began.

At first, Lois simply lay there, but soon, her pallor began to improve, and her breathing and heartbeat became stronger. Clark watched with his x-ray vision and observed as his Kryptonian blood began to repair the damage to Lois' body. Finally, she was stable.

"There," Lena said, turning off the machine. "Let's get cotton balls and Band-Aids on the both of you. We'll stay with Lois, Clark. You go find Lang and Brainiac and deal with them. They're most likely at Luthor-Corp's Smallville facility."

Clark went to Lois and kissed her forehead. "Rest up, Lois," he whispered. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Then he stood and looked at Lena. "You are an amazing woman, Lena Luthor. Thank you for saving her."

"It was your idea," Lena reminded him.

"Not the nanotech to save Lex, nor the fire extinguisher to stop Lana," he corrected.

Lena giggled at that. "I rather enjoyed doing that, Clark. Now go – Mercy and I have things under control here. We'll keep Lex and Lois safe. When you return, we can all go for pizza."

Clark offered Lena a brief hug and then shook Mercy's hand. "Thank you both for everything. Truly."

With that, Clark bolted from the room so fast it was as though he had never been there. Mercy and Lena exchanged glances.

"You think he can really stop Brainiac?" Mercy asked.

"I do," Lena replied with a nod. "Clark can do anything. Once this is all over, we can put everything right. Lex and I can rebuild Metropolis, and Clark will protect it."

"You think it will really go that way?"

Lena nodded again. "I do. It shall all work out, Mercy – you'll see."


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54**

"It's over, Brainiac!"

Superman's thunderous voice shook the very building itself. Were Vril Dox a human, or even a Coluan, the AI would be terrified. As Superman, Kal El wielded a power that no Kryptonian was ever meant to possess. In the hands of a less scrupulous Kryptonian, that power could be bent to Dox's purposes… and Vril Dox knew just where to find a few like-minded Kryptonians who would be all too happy to override Kal El's wishes for Earth. But in order to get to them and enlist their aid, the android needed to escape Kal El.

"As you can see, Kal El," Dox said as the android picked itself up from the rooftop, "I am not destroyed by your punch. You know what I am, and yet, you still hold back because I appear human. Also, this platform has something you have never encountered: kinetic barriers."

"That was a warning shot," Kal replied.

"You were wise to withhold your power," Dox replied. "Use your penetrative vision and you will see that the foundations of this building are rigged with enough C-4 to level it and leave a crater deeper than the building's lower levels. If my kinetic barriers are breached, the explosives will go off, killing everyone inside."

Kal El looked as Brainiac had instructed, and to his dismay, found that the android was not lying.

"I can see that you have verified my statements, Kal El of Krypton. I will leave you to deal with the explosives, which are timed to detonate in ten of your minutes. Your craft will hold this platform, and I will take it from here… unless you are willing to sacrifice these people."

"You know that I'm not," Superman replied. "Leave, and never return."

"You know that I will not," Dox replied. "I will gather the resources I need, and then I will return. My plan will come to pass, Kal El. Upon my return, I will give you the opportunity to join me once again."

"You know that I will not," Superman spat. "I will never join you!"

"That is undetermined," Dox replied. "Rather than debate this with you, I will take my leave of your world. Upon my return, the answer will be decided."

With that, Brainiac went to the craft that had carried Kal El to Earth. It was clear that with Luthor-Corp resources, Dox had been able to repair the little starship. The android's body barely fit into the ship, but squeeze in it did, closing the canopy and activating the stardrive.

In the blink of an eye, the little starship was gone.

With his vision powers and super speed, Clark was able to locate the detonator and deactivate it before physically removing all of the C4.

Superman had saved the day. Brainiac had been sent running, Lois, Lex and Lana were safe, and the people in Luthor-Corp's Smallville research facility were all safe, along with the building itself.

Yet, Clark still felt like he had lost.

Superman had won the battle, but not the war. Brainiac would be back. This time, Brainiac had possessed Lex Luthor because he needed Luthor Corp's resources. Next time, Brainiac would return in strength with the means to truly challenge Clark. When that day came, could Clark defeat the AI?

He pondered this and other questions as he flew back to Metropolis.


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55**

Lois' eyelids fluttered and when she opened her eyes fully, she found herself staring into the eyes of Clark, who stood over her.

"Hi." Lois' voice was weak, and the single word was barely above a whisper.

"I was beginning to think I'd never see you awaken." Clark took a seat on the side of her bed. "How do you feel?"

"I… I feel fine." Lois truly did feel fine. A little groggy, but otherwise, fine. "The last thing I remember was Mercy Graves putting me to sleep with chloroform. After that…."

"Lois, you were… given a nanotech injection that would have killed you – and then you were shot. Lena reprogrammed the nanites, but you had lost a lot of blood. There was no time, so… we used mine."

Lois' eyes widened a little. "Are Kryptonians universal donors?"

"We… still don't know."

Lois nodded. "Clearly, it worked."

Then she looked around. Lois was in a bed, but it was not a hospital bed – not with silk sheets wrapping the most comfortable mattress upon which she had ever slept. The room was spacious, far more spacious than her own. There was a dresser with a small lamp and a mirror, a writing desk, and a curtained window, its light blue curtains allowing diffuse light into the room. Everything from the color palette to the décor to the furniture itself was distinctly feminine.

"Clark… where am I?"

"Lena's guest room," he replied. "We didn't dare take you to a hospital; not with your blood swimming with nanotech and laced with Kryptonian blood."

Lois nodded again. "What about Brainiac?"

"He escaped. Took my ship too. I hate that he got away, but if I hadn't let him go, the entire Luthor-Corp Smallville Research Facility would have been blown apart with C4. I hate that he got away, but…."

"Clark, you did the right thing," Lois assured. "You act, and your instincts are generally dead on."

"He said he'd be back. I plan to be ready… I just hope it'll be enough."

"It will be, Clark." Lois paused for a moment. She still felt weak – clearly, Clark's blood had not given her instant super strength. Only time would tell if there were any adverse effects, but at least she was alive to find out.

The door opened and Lena walked in.

"Hello Lois, Clark." The Luthor heiress offered Lois a warm smile. "I see you're awake."

"You saved my life, I understand," Lois said weakly. "Guess I owe you one."

"I did," Lena confirmed. "As did Clark. As for owing me, just… just be kind when you report… whatever it is you're going to report."

"I can't even think about that right now," Lois confessed. "How's Lex?"

Lena let out a deep sigh. "He woke up after Clark left to confront Brainiac. He said he had to "undo what Dox had done to Luthor-Corp," and went to his office. That was three days ago. Lex says he's fine, but… he says he needs some space, so…."

"So, we've kept a respectful distance," Clark finished.

"Who shot me?" Lois asked, realizing that there were no pains or seeming injuries.

"Mercy shot at Lang," Lena began, "but it turned out he was not even in the building."

"It was a holographic projection so real that it fooled all of us," Clark added. "Lana had been doused with a Kryptonium laced perfume that interfered with my senses, so I didn't pick it up either. Mercy shot the image, but the bullet went through it and struck you."

"Where did she hit me?" Lois shook her head. "I don't feel like I just took a bullet."

"In the chest," Lena informed. "The nanotech and Kryptonian blood infusion seem to have fully healed you."

"How's Lana?" Lois asked. "And what about Lang?"

"Lana's back in Smallville, and Professor Lang is in jail," Clark explained.

"I terminated him for misuse of Luthor-Corp resources and had him arrested for kidnapping and blackmail," Lena went on. "However, I kept any knowledge of Brainiac, Kryptonian tech, and the annihilation of the human race in order to pave the way for new Kryptonians strictly to myself."

"What about Lex?" Lois asked. "Is he going to keep this to himself too?"

"He damn well better," Lena spat. "It was his… stupidity that got us into this mess. If he had not stolen Clark's ship, and if his ego had not made him so blind to what Lang was doing, none of this would have happened!"

Clark shook his head. "The Brainiac problem began before Lex was involved. Lang spent years grooming his daughter to be the vessel for a new Kryptonian race, with me as the intended father. It may have taken longer, but Brainiac and Lang would have eventually gotten their hands on my ship – it's not like I can guard it twenty-four/seven."

"That is far more generous of you than my brother deserves, Clark," Lena noted. "Few friends would be so forgiving."

"Lex's involvement may have allowed for Brainiac to move faster," Clark said, "but at least now, we know what we're dealing with. Now, we can prepare. As far as Lex goes, they used his ego against him. They knew what to say, when to say it, and how to make him buy into their plan. Brainiac had no intention of ever letting go of Lex. Your brother was a victim, Lena."

"Yes," the Luthor heiress agreed, "but he was also a willing participant. I love him, but I am livid."

Lois pressed her hands into the bed and sat upright under her own power. She grinned at the accomplishment. Of course, Clark immediately moved to support her. As the sheets fell away, Lois found that they had put her into a satin nightshirt.

"This is nicer than what I'm used to," Lois noted.

"Thankfully," Lena said with a slight giggle, "we wear the same dress size."

"Thanks for taking care of me, Lena," the Planet's star reporter said as she swung her feet over the side of the bed. "I misjudged you when you first came to Metropolis. I misjudged Lex too. I'm sorry."

Lena nodded. "I had plenty of preconceived notions about you as well, Lois. But here we are now; friends and allies."

"Friends," Lois said as she stood.

Clark held her hands, but apart from offering Lois support if she needed it, he did not help her to her feet. Lois wanted – no, needed to do this herself, and Clark sensed it. She loved that he knew how to be supportive without treating her like she was helpless.

"Didn't think you'd be on your feet this quickly," Clark confessed. "Thought you'd be in bed for at least another week. You sure you're alright?"

Lois took a cautious first step and then nodded when she found that her legs were steady.

"My exclusive won't write itself, Smallville," the star reporter said with a grin. "And if you want to share that byline, you'll keep the latte's coming."

In response, Clark kissed her.

"Mmm, keep those coming too, Kent." Then Lois turned to Lena. "I'll keep my piece limited to Lang's misappropriation of funds and kidnapping, just as you have; people are still not sure what to make of Superman. I don't think the world is ready for the idea of an alien AI and a mad scientist trying to kill all of humanity." Then she looked at Clark. "By the way, how was he planning to do it?"

"Some kind of broadcast sonic attack that would cause catastrophic damage to the human brain and internal organs," Lena explained.

"Lana's genetics had been altered enough that she would not have been affected," Clark added.

"That's why they needed Luthor-Corp's Metropolis facility," Lena explained. "So much of the world is tied into it in some way that Brainiac could have subjected much of the world to the signal. Humanity would not have all been killed, but the human population would have been reduced by roughly two thirds. Everyone in Metropolis, including you and I, would have been killed, and Lex would have been a permanent vessel for Brainiac."

"That's… monstrous!" Lois shuddered at the thought.

"Thankfully, we stopped them," Clark reminded her.

"Yes, but we need to be prepared to stop them again," Lena said flatly.

"When he's ready," Clark replied, "I can talk with Lex. Between the three of us, we should be able to figure something out."

Lois nodded, but said nothing. Based on what Lena and Clark had told her, Lex was not mentally well. Arrogant men with bruised egos rarely worked toward the common good. Lex had all of Lang's notes and the resources of Luthor-Corp at his command. He could do a lot of damage to Metropolis, and ultimately, to the world. Lois hoped that Clark could see it too. They could talk about that when they were alone.

Instead of voicing her concerns now, she just said, "I love you, Clark."

Lois did not want Lena involved in any discussion about Lex. She feared that Brainiac may have pushed Lex to become something far worse than what Lionel had been, and that sentiment could never make it back to Lex. She would talk with Clark about it later. For now, she enjoyed the feeling of him enfolding her in his powerful arms.

"I love you too, Lois."


	56. Chapter 56

**Epilogue**

Lex Luthor sat at his desk in his Luthor Corp office. It had been his father's office, a throne from which Lionel Luthor had ruled Metropolis. Everyone, from the Mayor to the police chief to the lowliest beat cop belonged to Lionel Luthor – and now, they belonged to Lex.

Now that he was free of Brainiac, Lex could mold Metropolis any way he saw fit… but it was meaningless. Vril Dox had taken Lex's body and used it as the AI had seen fit. He felt violated. Lena and Clark had saved him. Lex knew he should be grateful.

But he was not.

Lex raged at his inability to stop Brainiac from taking over his body. He raged at his impotence as Doctor Lang gloated over Lex's defeat. And he raged at himself for his own foolishness in falling into the trap laid by Lang and the Coluan machine.

Alien life existed. First, it was in the person of Clark Kent, the powerful but benevolent farm boy turned reporter who had become Lex's closest friend.

Then, it existed in the person of the AI, Vril Dox, and the distant Coluan Empire.

Clark was almost like a brother. Yet, Lex could not even begin to think of how to talk to Clark about what had happened, what it was like to be possessed by Brainiac.

Clark was indeed the best friend Lex could ever have had. Lex had betrayed that friendship in the pursuit of power, costing the life of Jonathan Kent, and still, Clark had forgiven him. How could he burden Clark – or Lena, for that matter – with such things?

Lena never gave in to her ego, and Clark was always the one to do the right thing for no other reason than that it was the right thing. Even as Superman, Clark Kent never gave in to his ego. He loved his sister and he loved Clark… but for the strength they had, strength that would have prevented them ever falling into such a trap as Lex had fallen, he hated them.

If he had hair, he would pull it out.

Lex began to sob. He had failed and his best friend had paid, along with all humanity. Thanks to Lena's nanotech enhancements, Lex could retain all of Brainiac's knowledge. He knew what Vril Dox knew: that thanks to Lex's enabling of its goals, the Coluan AI would return with Kryptonians from an extradimensional prison called the Phantom Zone, and then carry out its plan.

Humanity was doomed because Lex Luthor, who had spent his life looking down on them, had failed. Lex Luthor had proven weak and stupid. Mister two-hundred IQ had lost the world because he was too stupid to see Lang, a washed-up second-rate hack, playing him.

Clark had called and left numerous messages.

Lex had not returned his calls.

Humanity, including Lex, was doomed. Now that Lex's eyes were forcibly opened, he knew that a solution had to be found.

The old Lex would have had no hope of finding the answers. The old Lex was dead. The smart kid, bullied by schoolyard punks for his intelligence, who deep down, longed to fit in with others was weak.

At last, Lex Luthor understood his father.

His sobs stopped and the tears dried. It had not been a weakness to sob and cry; it had been the purging of the bullied child, leaving in its place the greatest mind of the modern age – the mind that would find the answers needed to stop Brainiac.

Only Lex could find the answers – only he had the will and the drive.

Lex Luthor would take his greatest failure and turn it into his greatest achievement. He would save Earth from an invasive alien species.

Clark Kent was his best friend… but Clark Kent was also Kryptonian. No means of Kryptonian reproduction could be allowed to remain. That meant that Lana Lang, sniveling worm that she was, had to die. Lois Lane, infused with Lena's tech and Kryptonian blood, may also be able to carry a Kryptonian child. He had actually come to like the intrepid reporter, but she would have to die as well – otherwise, Lex would be forced to kill his best friend. Thanks to his retaining of Vril Dox's knowledge, he now knew how that could be done.

Perhaps Lane did not have to die. Perhaps sterilizing her would be the answer.

Clark would hate him for it… if he found out. Lex would need to ensure that Lane could never bear a child. Only then could she and Clark be together without the threat of producing another Kryptonian.

Lana Lang would still have to die. Her part in this was unforgivable. Doctor Lang would die as well, but where Lex would kill Lana out of necessity, he would kill her father for personal satisfaction. Doctor Lang's death would be painfully drawn out, Lex would make certain of that.

Clark would work at Lex's side and make sure that Lex's directives were followed – he had to. Surely, Clark would see the necessities that Lex saw. Yes, people would have to sacrifice freedoms, and people would have to be sacrificed, but for the greater good of humanity, it had to be done.

If Clark would not see the truth, then Lex would make him see it. He would drag his Kryptonian friend to the truth no matter the cost. And if Clark still refused, then he would have to be sacrificed for the greater good as well.

Lex stood from his desk and walked to the window, looking down on his city as a god looked down on his creation, and smiled.

 **The End… but only the beginning!**


End file.
